Indianapolis Colts fans don't yet need to panic about cornerback Charvarius Ward. He is a very good player and person, of course, but he wasn't healthy last season. He isn't healthy currently in training camp, so much so that the team left Ward at home instead of taking him to New England to practice and play against the Patriots.
The question fans might be asking about Ward, though, is whether he will be healthy enough in his time in Indy to help the team win games. That question has no answer yet.
Indianapolis has a joint practice against the Pats on Tuesday and a preseason game against them on Thursday. Ward likely wouldn't have played in the meaningless preseason game anyway. Starters often miss those games.
Indianapolis Colts leave Charvarius Ward in Indy instead of flying him to practice against the Patriots
Missing the joint practice is a different story, though. In those situations, most starters do participate because teams can work through certain scenarios, such as red-zone offense and defense, and that is more helpful than preseason games. Ward, however, didn't fly to New England because of a back issue that has been a problem since the offseason.
According to Colts insider Mike Chappell, the veteran cornerback is dealing with "back soreness." Instead of forcing Ward to make a flight to simply watch practice, the decision was made to have Ward stay in Indy. Presumably, to get some treatment on the problem.
Last season, Ward suffered three concussions and couldn't stay available consistently. Concussions are certainly no laughing matter, of course, and can have long-term effects. They don't normally just pop up at any point, though. A player needs to be contacted by another player to be in a position to get a concussion.
A back problem can last for an untold period of time, however. A player who has participated in a lot of football games and is having back pain is unlikely to have the condition just fade away quickly and never have the ailment return. Ward's back problem could last into the season.
This might not be all gloom and doom. If the Indianapolis Colts were playing in a real game, maybe Mooney Ward would be available. Missing a joint practice or preseason game is no big deal. Ward missed some practices earlier in camp due to back pain, but that is also logical.
He doesn't really need to practice. He knows his job, and, when healthy, does it well. The concern for fans is not knowing how bad Ward's back is, and we might not know the extent until closer to the start of the season. Hopefully, he is fine. If he isn't, Indy's defense won't be as good, and in a tough AFC South, one key injury could keep the Colts from making the playoffs.
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