Colts' Charvarius Ward: Cleared to play against Houston
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Ward (groin) is active for Sunday's game against the Texans.
Ward tweaked his groin during the Colts' overtime loss to the Chiefs in Week 2. He drew the questionable tag for Sunday's AFC South tilt following a DNP-LP-FP practice log, and the veteran cornerback has been given the green light to play after going through pregame warmups. Cam Taylor-Britt will operate in a depth role behind Ward and Sauce Gardner for Week 3.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Could play against Houston
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Ward (groin) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Texans, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Ward drew the questionable tag for Week 3 following a DNP-LP-FP practice log. He's working through a groin injury that he picked up in Week 2 against the Chiefs, and if he cannot play Sunday, then Cam Taylor-Britt would likely start at outside cornerback opposite Sauce Gardner.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: DNP with groin injury
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Ward (groin) did not participate in Wednesday's practice.
Ward exited Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss to the Chiefs early due to groin tightness. The starting cornerback will likely need to upgrade his practice participation to at least a limited level by Friday to have a chance of playing in the Colts' Week 3 divisional matchup against the Texans.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Dealing with groin injury
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Ward (groin) is questionable to return to Sunday night's contest against the Chiefs, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Ward suffered a groin injury in the second half, and his status for the stretch run is now uncertain. In Ward's absence, Cam Taylor-Britt will stand to step into a prominent role in the secondary with Indianapolis.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: No timeline for return
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Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters Tuesday that Ward (back) does not have a timeline for return, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Ward has not practiced in training camp due to a back issue that also prevented him from participating in minicamp in June. He's unlikely to play in Thursday's preseason opener against New England, and it remains to be seen whether Ward will suit up for any of the Colts' exhibition games. Cam Taylor-Britt (suspension), Mekhi Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards will all see more reps with the first-team defense at outside cornerback for as long as Ward is sidelined.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Tending to back tightness
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Ward (back) did not participate during the Colts' minicamp session Tuesday, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.
The issue is not considered serious, and Ward may return to the practice field as soon as Wednesday. The veteran figures to be a key piece of an Indianapolis defense hoping to rebound in 2026.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Considering retirement
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Ward (concussion) said after Sunday's game that he is considering retirement due to lingering concussion symptoms, Nathan Brown reports.
The eighth-year pro suffered his third concussion of the season in Week 14 against Jacksonville, which ultimately caused him to miss the Colts' final four games of the season. This adds to the previous six games Ward missed due to concussions in Week 1 and Week 6. The 29-year-old mentioned debilitating headaches and lingering symptoms factoring in his possible retirement decision, saying, "If I walk away, I won't regret it." Ward has 460 tackles (338 solo), including 1.0 sacks, 77 pass breakups, with 10 interceptions, and three forced fumbles through his career.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Practices in full
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Ward (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.
Ward has missed Indianapolis' previous five games, but coming out of the team's bye week he appears to be nearing clearance from the concussion protocol. He initially suffered the concussion during pregame warmups Week 6. Once fully healthy, Ward will line up alongside new cornerback Sauce Gardner, a tandem that Indianapolis could debut as early as Sunday's road matchup against the Chiefs.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Placed on IR
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Ward (concussion) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Ward suffered a concussion during warmups for Week 6 and had already been ruled out for Sunday's matchup against the Chargers. He'll now be sidelined for the next four games, ruling him out until at least a Week 12 matchup against the Chiefs. Ward's absence is a significant blow for the Colts' secondary, as he had played at least 80 percent of defensive snaps in all four of his healthy contests this season.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Sitting out against Chargers
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Ward (concussion) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.
Ward has yet to clear concussion protocol since suffering a concussion in pregame warmups ahead of the Colts' Week 6 win over the Cardinals. He will need to do so to have a chance to play against the Titans in Week 8. Mekhi Blackmon could step into a starting role at outside cornerback, while the Colts' banged-up secondary could get a boost with the expected return of nickel cornerback Kenny Moore (Achilles).
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Suffers concussion during warmups
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Ward has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cardinals due to a concussion.
Ward sustained the concussion during pregame warmups, per James Boyd of The Athletic. It's the second time Ward has been placed in the league's concussion protocol this season, and he'll need to be cleared by an independent neurologist in order to play in Week 7 against the Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 19. Mekhi Blackmon will likely draw the start at outside corner opposite Johnathan Edwards in Ward's absence.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Back to full practice
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Ward (concussion) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.
After missing Week 2 with a concussion, Ward appears to have cleared the league's protocol, putting him in line to play Sunday against the Titans. Ward's return could impact Calvin Ridley's projections for Week 3.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Doesn't practice Wednesday
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Ward (concussion) was a non-participant in Wednesday's practice.
Ward landed in concussion protocol Monday after playing every defensive snap for the Colts in their Week 1 win over Miami. It appears he hasn't yet cleared protocol, which puts his status for Sunday's Week 2 matchup versus Denver in peril. If Ward isn't able to suit up for that game, Mekhi Blackmon or Johnathan Edwards may be asked to slide into a starting role.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: In concussion protocol
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Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that Ward is in concussion protocol after displaying symptoms Monday morning, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.
Despite being in concussion protocol Monday morning, Ward played 100 percent of the Colts' defensive snaps in Week 1, recording six total tackles. The veteran corner signed a three-year, $60 million deal with Indianapolis this past offseason after spending the last three years of his career with the 49ers, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. His practice participation throughout the week will likely serve as the best indication of whether he can suit up for a Week 2 matchup against the Broncos on Sunday.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Over leg injury
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Ward (leg) played in Saturday's preseason game against the Packers.
It was Ward's first action of the preseason, but he failed to log any stats across 12 defensive snaps. Ward signed a three-year deal with the Colts back in March and is expected to operate as Indy's top cover corner this season.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Back at practice Tuesday
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Ward (leg) participated during Tuesday's training camp practice, Jake Arthur of Sports Illustrated reports.
It's a positive development for Ward after he sat out some activities earlier in the week with tightness in his leg. It's still not clear whether he'll be available for Thursday's preseason game at Baltimore, but the veteran might sit out that contest even if he is fully healthy. He projects to start on the boundary for Indianapolis in 2025.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Dealing with leg injury
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Ward was held out of Sunday's training camp practice due to tightness in his leg, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.
Ward's absence from Sunday's session is likely precautionary, but he is in jeopardy of missing practices over the coming days. With Ward, Jaylon Jones (hamstring) and JuJu Brents (hamstring) all working through injuries, Samuel Womack and Justin Walley are the top candidates to work with the first-team defense at outside corner in practice and potentially in Thursday's preseason opener against the Ravens. Ward signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Colts in March after spending the last three seasons with the 49ers.
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49ers' Charvarius Ward: Zero INTs during 2024 season
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Ward finished the 2024 season with 54 tackles (38 solo) and seven pass breakups across 12 games.
After logging a league-leading 23 pass breakups, including five interceptions, during the 2023 campaign, Ward played five fewer games in 2024 and failed to record a single interception. He missed time with hamstring, knee and personal issues. Ward was a second-team All-Pro selection last season and is now slated for unrestricted free agency in March while coming off what most would consider a down year. Ward will turn 29 years old in May. His ordinary season and missed time will likely cost him some money on his next contract.
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49ers' Charvarius Ward: Fives tackles against Bears
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Ward finished Sunday's 38-13 win over Chicago with five tackles (four solo).
Ward tied Talanoa Hufanga and Malik Mustapha (chest) for the second-most tackles on the 49ers on Sunday behind De'Vondre Campbell (seven). Ward has registered 10 tackles (six solo) in his two games back since a three-game absence due to a personal matter.
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49ers' Charvarius Ward: Plays every snap in return
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Ward recorded five tackles (two solo) during Sunday's 35-10 loss at Buffalo.
Ward had sat out the 49ers' previous three games due to a serious personal matter, but he resumed his regular every-down role Sunday. He should be San Francisco's top cornerback for the rest of the season as long as he's available.
