NFL
The real reason Charvarius Ward isn’t playing for 49ers against Lions in week 17 MNF
Cornerback Ward previously missed four games earlier in the 2024 NFL season due to the tragic death of his daughter.
When NFL players are ruled out of games, it’s usually a sign that something has gone wrong, most commonly in terms of fitness. Charvarius Ward’s absence from the San Francisco 49ers roster to face the Detroit Lions in week 17 Monday Night Football, however, is very much good news, if reports are to be believed.
The cornerback was initially listed as questionable for the game due to “personal reasons,” before being downgraded to out on Sunday. Speaking to the media at the weekend, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan refrained from giving specific details but did tease that “nothing bad happened”.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan has since reported that Ward had recently told her his partner was expecting a baby boy, which was the reason for his absence from practice on Saturday. A revelation that ties in with Shanahan’s “nothing bad” explanation.
Charvarius Ward’s daughter tragically dies
The 28-year-old was certainly due a whole heap of good news. In October, Ward’s daughter, Amani Joy, died a few weeks before her second birthday. She was born prematurely with Down Syndrome and had suffered from heart issues from birth.
As a result of his daughter’s passing, Ward missed four games, the first ones he had sat out, and indeed not started, since joining the 49ers in March 2022.
Will Charvarius Ward ever play for the San Francisco 49ers again?
The imminent birth of his son could also rule Ward out of the week 18 game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. If that is the case, the cornerback may have played his last game for the 49ers.
San Francisco are already out of playoff contention and Ward will be an unrestricted free agent during the 2025 offseason, which means we may have seen the last of him in California.
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