49ers CB Charvarius Ward gives heartbreaking reason for never returning to play in San Francisco
Charvarius Ward has made up his mind to leave California after the death of his daughter caused him and his girlfriend PTSD.
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Charvarius Ward (Image via IMAGO)
San Francisco 49ers star cornerback Charvarius Ward went through a lot in 2024. On the professional front, the 49ers, with whom he played in the Super Bowl in 2023, were knocked out of playoff qualification, and in his personal life, Ward experienced a trauma that he has had a hard time shaking off.
In October 2024, Ward’s daughter, two-year-old Amani Joy passed away after suffering from heart complications. The passing of his firstborn nearly broke him and had to take time off from playing football.
This was probably the worst year of my career. Just because what I went through off the field and everything, the thing with my daughter, and then almost lost my son at the end of pregnancy.
Charvarius Ward said on Monday via David Lombardi, a day after losing to the Arizona Cardinals in the final game of the season.
The 28-year-old’s girlfriend Monique Cook gave birth to their second child Charvarius Ward Jr., in December, two months after Amani passed away. Cook experienced complications during her pregnancy and at C-section, so she decided to move out of California to raise their son.
Charvarius Ward didn't rule out a return to the 49ers, but says he's suffering from PTSD following the death of his 1-year-old daughter — and some of it is location-based.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 6, 2025
"I'll be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night, sweating," Ward said. "I got a lot of trauma in… pic.twitter.com/uz4Q2TEuhp
Ward stayed back to finish the season but it appears he might follow his girlfriend and leave California and the 49ers as well.
Charvarius Ward doesn’t want to stay in California
Death of a child is devastating and the Ward family went through the pain, leaving a scar on their heart and soul. It’s not easy to recover from such trauma and Ward believes his girlfriend stays away from Cali to escape from the hardships she faced last year.
Ward may also follow her and leave San Fran for a different city, which would mean the end of his tenure with the 49ers. His three-year, $42 million deal ends in 2025 and he will likely explore options in free agency.
I got a lot of trauma in California. I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that’s ever happened to me happened in California… Every time I get on the plane to come back, it just brings up bad memories [and] I go home every night by myself because my girl doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened.
Charvarius Ward said.
Ward played only 11 games in 2024. He racked up 54 combined tackles (38 solo and 16 assisted), 7 pass deflections and zero interceptions. Teams are always in the hunt for a top-class cornerback, so he won’t be unemployed for very long if he decides to leave.
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)