After providing him a lucrative multi-year free agent contract, the Colts are banking on former NFL All-Pro Charvarius Ward bouncing back at cornerback!
According to PFF, new Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward is one of their five former NFL All-Pros, who’s a major bounce-back candidate headed into the 2025 season:
CB Charvarius Ward, Indianapolis Colts
Ward has been one of the league’s most underrated players since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018. His PFF coverage grade steadily climbed each season from 2020 to 2023, topping out at 86.5 with the San Francisco 49ers.
Ward’s 89.2 PFF overall grade over 2022 and 2023 trailed only Sauce Gardner for the best mark among cornerbacks. He also ranked fifth in 2022 and third in 2023 in PFF advanced coverage grade, on his way to second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
2024 was a year to forget for Ward, who posted a career-worst 56.2 PFF overall grade and played his fewest snaps (694) since his rookie season after missing time between injury and personal matters. He signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency and will look to reclaim his status as one of the league’s top cornerbacks in 2025.
The Colts wasted no time inking Ward to a 3-year, $54 million contract (including a signing bonus of $20 million and with nearly $35 million guaranteed) during the early stages of this year’s free agency—which was a stark contrast to how longtime Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has previously operated since joining the franchise back in 2017.
The thought among league circles was that while talented as a defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo needed more ‘horses’ to work with—particularly in a depleted Indy secondary. The Colts snagged both Ward, as well as solid starting safety Cam Bynum to resolve the issue.
Both key defensive back signings project as immediate starters and upgrades respectively.
As PFF notes, Ward is a year removed from being one of the best cornerbacks in football with the San Francisco 49ers. After having a down season last year in the Bay area, having endured personal tragedy in his own family, the Colts are hoping that Ward can regain his prior NFL All-Pro form, and that all he really needed was a desired change of scenery.
He’s been regarded for his tenacity as a tackler, ball skills, and ability to be sticky in coverage—meaning he should immediately pencil in as the Colts’ bona fide CB1 going forward—which Indianapolis really hasn’t had a true shadow corner since the late Vontae Davis, who was a Pro Bowler for the Horseshoe in both 2014 and 2015.