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Charvarius Ward may not return to the San Francisco 49ers next season because of PTSD that he is still dealing with from the loss of his 1-year-old daughter. Ward has revealed that this offseason might mark the end of his time with the 49ers as he decides what he wants to do in his NFL career. Ward announced last October that his daughter, Amani Joy, died due to two heart holes and Down syndrome, which he had previously revealed last year. No cause of death was given.
Charvarius Ward may consider leaving the team in free agency due to dealing with PTSD
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward will face a difficult year in free agency in March after his daughter, Amani Joy, died before her second birthday due to heart issues. Ward spoke publicly about the season’s challenges, his future in San Francisco, and his thoughts on what might be next after his daughter’s death. Ward, in a 10-minute conversation, acknowledged that a more likely outcome is a fresh start elsewhere, where the pain of his daughter’s loss is less prevalent.
“I’ve got a lot of trauma in California,” Ward said. “I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California. It can just bring up bad memories. Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories.”
He added, “I go through that every day. I go home every night by myself because my girl, she doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened. So, it is hard being alone, and she’s my strength right now. I need her, and so her not being able to be around me if I’m in California, it’d be tough.”
Ward has continued to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder because of his daughter’s death, which at times causes nighttime sweating and even occasional vomiting. After Amani’s death, Ward stepped out of the team for three games before returning on December 1. He featured in five of the last six games, aside from the Detroit Lions loss, to return to Dallas for the birth of his son, Charvarius Jr.
“It took everything physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually,” Ward said. “It took all of that every day for me to just come here and be able to practice. I wasn’t going to meetings half the time. My social battery was so low. It was just hard being around people. I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me and everything like that. I just tried to show up and be there for my teammates.”
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Ward, who told ESPN he wanted to be “the most motivated I’ve ever been” entering 2025, signed with the 49ers on a three-year, $42.5 million deal March 17, 2022, and immediately becomes their top corner. Ward says 49ers general manager John Lynch expressed interest in bringing him back, but both sides understand it will come down to what kind of offers the 28-year-old corner might receive elsewhere.
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