Charvarius Ward a Potential Target for Steelers in NFL Free Agency
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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward has been identified as a fitting free agent target for the Pittsburgh Steelers as NFL free agency approaches.
The Steelers have several gaps to fill, particularly at cornerback, with veterans Donte Jackson and Cameron Sutton entering the market. ESPN NFL staff writer Matt Bowen predicted that the Steelers would likely pursue a new CB2 to complement Joey Porter Jr. in his February 18 analysis of the top 50 free agents.
"Ward has the man-coverage ability to press or pedal off the ball, along with the backfield vision to make plays in zone coverage," Bowen explained.
Bowen believes that Ward would seamlessly fit opposite Porter Jr. in the Steelers' defensive scheme, which utilized single-high coverage over 50% of the time last season. Over his seven seasons in the NFL, Ward has accumulated 10 interceptions and 59 pass breakups.
Ward is currently considered the second-best cornerback available in 2025, following D.J. Reed Jr., and ranks as the 10th-best free agent overall. He previously signed a $40.5 million contract in 2022 with the 49ers for three years.
Having earned every dollar of that contract, Ward also made an additional $400,000 in incentives, according to Over the Cap. The soon-to-be 29-year-old cornerback attended his first Pro Bowl with the Niners and made his second Super Bowl appearance. He was a champion during his initial Super Bowl experience with the Kansas City Chiefs and has started 105 NFL games (including playoffs) since entering the league as an undrafted rookie.
Consistency has been a hallmark of Ward's career. He has only received a Pro Football Focus coverage grade below 65.0 twice since 2018, with marks of 62.9 in 2019 (his debut season as a starter) and 58.2 in 2024.
There may be reasons for Ward's dip in performance last season, particularly the personal tragedy of losing his one-year-old daughter in October. His previous season featured a stellar performance, earning him a coverage grade of 86.5 and a passer rating of 63.7, which garnered second-team All-Pro honors. This suggests that the off-field tragedy impacted his performance more than age.
Ward is also recognized for his reliability as a tackler. In four of his seven seasons, he achieved a tackling grade of 80.0 or higher, without dropping below 70.0 in any season.
While his coverage skills are commendable, there are concerns about Ward's history of penalties. In 2024, he was flagged 15 times, tying him with Porter, who also received 12 penalties the previous season. Overall, Ward has been penalized 52 times throughout his career, averaging 7.43 penalties per year.
Durability could also be a concern, as he has missed games here and there, playing only 12 games in 2024. However, he started all 17 games in his first two seasons with the 49ers and played 13 to 16 games in his four seasons with the Chiefs.