49ers’ Charvarius Ward emerging as shutdown corner heading into playoffs

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

A previously unheralded player on one of the top defenses in the NFL, 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is finally getting his flowers nationally.

The sixth-year pro earned his first Pro Bowl nod this week, one of a league-high nine San Francisco players voted to the annual all-star team, announced on Wednesday.

Ward has developed into a lockdown corner for the 49ers this season, and he’ll take center stage when San Francisco faces some of the league’s top receivers in the postseason, potentially including CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua.

“He’s now playing at that All-Pro-caliber level,” San Francisco defensive coordinator Steve Wilks told reporters. “You saw that, and I’ve seen it all year.”

Ward has 68 tackles in 16 starts, with a league-high 23 pass breakups and a career-high five interceptions, including one for a touchdown. According to Next Gen Stats, opposing quarterbacks have a 66.6 passer rating when targeting Ward during the regular season. He’s given up just two passing touchdowns this year.

Ward is the fourth-highest graded cornerback in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.

“It’s just a different mentality,” Ward told the San Francisco Chronicle about his uptick in picks. “I know I’ve got to get the ball. I can’t be getting PBUs all my career. If I’m catching interceptions, it’s going to help the defense, help the team and help my bank account.”

With Pro Bowl safety Talanoa Hufanga out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee, Ward has emerged as the top playmaker in the secondary for San Francisco.

The 49ers are holding opponents to 306.7 passing yards a contest, No. 7 in the league. They’ve allowed just 19 passing touchdowns this season, tied for No. 4 in the league. And their 21 interceptions as a team rank second only to the Chicago Bears‘ 22.

An undrafted rookie out of Middle Tennessee in 2018 who worked his way into a starting role with the Kansas City Chiefs, Ward inked a three-year, $42 million deal with the 49ers before the 2002 season. Along with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, Ward has been an impact free-agent addition for the 49ers on defense.

Known as “Mooney,” the nickname his mother gave him as a boy, Ward has not missed a game over the past two seasons. This year he has played 908 defensive snaps in 16 games, which is 89% of San Francisco’s snaps on that side of the ball.

San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey said he admires the outgoing Ward and his playmaking ability.

“He’s the man,” McCaffrey told reporters. “He’s charismatic, funny, and always has something funny to say. I don’t know if he knows that he’s funny, but he is.

“Sharing a locker with him is fun. I get a lot of new music sharing a locker with him, so I’m appreciative of that. He’s a hell of a player, too, and playing at an All-Pro level. So I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Players always say pass rush and pass coverage go together. But with a playmaker like Ward on the back end, San Francisco’s pass rushers know if they generate pressure, secondary players like Ward can turn those pressures into takeaways.

San Francisco’s 46 sacks are tied for seventh in the NFL. According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ers 268 quarterback pressures rank second only to the Baltimore Ravens‘ 271.

Ward still has room for improvement. He leads the 49ers with 11 accepted penalties, but only one since Week 10.

“He’s had a hell of a year,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. “He’s been playing his ass off for a little bit now, and it keeps getting better.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.