No one wants Charvarius Ward to go. He was only signed by the Indianapolis Colts last offseason to a three-year deal worth as much as $60 million. But Ward was extremely unlucky this season, suffering three concussions. One of them was in a freak accident during Week 6 warm-ups.
After the second concussion, Ward was open about thinking of not returning. He loves playing football, but he also has to think about the rest of his life. Three brain injuries in a short amount of time can definitely have career-altering effects.
The cornerback has also been open about thinking of retiring this offseason instead of risking himself to yet another concussion. He deserves better. If he does decide to retire, and no one should blame him if he does, the team could have another great option in free agency, but general manager Chris Ballard would have to be aggressive.
Indianapolis Colts may have an answer in free agency to potential Charvarius Ward retirement
Jamel Dean of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is set to be a free agent, and while he has been mostly fantastic throughout his career, he seemingly wasn't happy with how the Bucs' season ended. Tampa Bay struggled almost as much as the Colts did in the second half of the season, but coaching appeared to be a problem.
Dean said after the season that he didn't feel as if the team was as "prepared" as it should have been defensively. That is a good reason to potentially leave.
According to Spotrac, Dean, who is 29 years old, has a market value of nearly $38 million over three years. His average annual salary would be just north of $12 million, which would be less than Ward's current average ($18 million).
But Dean would likely be worth every penny. He's spent seven years in the NFL, all with Tampa Bay, and has a very good quarterback rating allowed of 80.9. In 2025, it was a ridiculously great 46.9. In the last two seasons, he has allowed just one touchdown pass but intercepted four passes.
For a cornerback, he is also an elite tackler, whiffing on just six percent of his career attempts, and never having a season worse than 8.8. This skill allows him to be stout against the run.
The fact is that Jamel Dean is one of the most consistently very good cornerbacks in the league, and he would be a natural fit with the Indianapolis Colts playing opposite Sauce Gardner. Still, the hope is that Mooney Ward returns and stays healthy.