Charvarius Ward needs to go ahead and do it. The Indianapolis Colts' cornerback suffered three concussions this season, and according to a tweet from an NFL news account, Ward is considering retiring this offseason. Why risk his quality of life after football for another season or two of the sport?
The truth is that while Indy general manager Chris Ballard could not have foreseen Ward getting hurt so many times, Ballard also overpaid for Ward. The cornerback was 29 years old, would be past 30 by the time his deal was done, and that is a risky age for a corner.
That didn't stop Ballard from giving Ward a three-year deal with a maximum of $60 million. $35 million was guaranteed. The hope was that the cornerback would stay healthier than he did in his final season with the San Francisco 49ers (in 2024, he missed five games) and revert to the form he had in 2023. That year, he made the only Pro Bowl of his career.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward considering retirement
But Ward suffered a concussion in Week 1, missed Week 2, suffered another in pregame warmups before Week 6, missed multiple games after being placed on injured reserve, came back only to have his third concussion of the season in Week 14, and he was placed on IR again.
One brain injury is difficult enough, but three relatively close together can be life-altering, and no one deserves that, no matter what one's job is. Ward is a good player, but he has a decision to make now. He can keep playing, or he can retire, likely having made enough money to live the rest of his life in comfort.
Should he retire, the team might work out how to pay the rest of his guaranteed money, $5 million of which is due in 2026. The team would save money against the cap should he no longer be with the team, and that money could go toward re-signing players like Alec Pierce.
Chris Ballard overspent either way for Charvarius Ward based on the cornerback's age and previous injury history. But the player thinking about retirement makes sense. He didn't want to quit on the Indianapolis Colts, but the sport might be forcing him to.