Could the Kansas City Chiefs reunite with former starting cornerback Charvarius Ward in NFL free agency?
It’s been a devastating year off the field for former Kansas City Chiefs starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, who is set to hit the open market once again after leaving KC to sign with the San Francisco 49ers three offseasons ago.
Ward announced the passing of his one-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, on October 29, 2024. Since then, he’s hinted that he’s unlikely to re-sign with the Niners, simply because flying back to California throughout the season reminds him and his significant other of the tragedy and loss that his family was forced to endure.
In other words, Ward and his family could use a change of scenery after three years out west, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes a Chiefs reunion could be one of the more likely outcomes.
“It won’t be a surprise if the Chiefs consider bringing back Ward,” Knox wrote on February 17. “Though their defense was mostly terrific in 2024, it fell flat against the [Philadelphia] Eagles in Super Bowl LIX—and Kansas City is no stranger to adding familiar faces if they can help the team.”
The NFL writer did note that when it comes to the Chiefs re-signing Ward, the “biggest obstacle for Kansas City will be its limited cap flexibility.”
Ward originally left KC for a major payday, earning a total of $40.9 million over his three years in San Francisco. It’s unclear exactly how much he’ll fetch this spring, but Ward’s consistency should keep him near the top of the cornerback market in terms of salary.
Knox listed Ward as a top eight free agent in 2025, just behind fellow veteran CB D.J. Reed.
Charvarius Ward Made a Name for Himself With Chiefs, Transforming From UDFA Cast-off Into Super Bowl Champion Starter
Although Ward began his NFL career as an undrafted prospect of the Dallas Cowboys, he really made a name for himself in Kansas City after being traded to the Chiefs just after his rookie training camp.
From there, it didn’t take long for Ward to thrive inside Steve Spagnuolo’s system in 2019 — his second season in KC. Ward started 19 games that season if you include the playoffs, logging 2 interceptions, 10 pass defenses and 1 forced fumble.
After the championship run in 2019, Ward was a consistent Chiefs starter for another two years when healthy — and KC has had mixed results replacing him since.
