Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward considered retiring from the NFL at the end of the 2025 season, but he opted to go the other way and returned for a second season with the club.
Ward only played in seven games during his first season in Indianapolis as three concussions caused him to miss significant time. Ward also dealt with the death of his daughter in 2024 and said on Wednesday that “his heart was super heavy” because of that loss. He said it “got to the point in training camp where it had got real hard for me” to keep going through the associated mental and emotional challenges.
Ward said that he feels in a better place on those fronts and that his offseason workouts showed him that he was still capable of playing at a high level.
“I just feel good,’ Ward said. “I’ve just been working on myself, and I didn’t want to finish my career like I finished last season. A lot of stuff happened out of my control. Emotionally, I wasn’t ready like I thought I was going to be ready. Getting my fam out here with me this season, they’re going to be close with me this year, and I think that’s going to help me out a lot. Just being whole and happy.”
The Colts traded for Sauce Gardner during the 2025 season, but he missed time with a calf injury and the duo didn’t get to play together after the deal. Changing that would be a step in the right direction for Ward and the Colts.
