As the Indianapolis Colts turn the page to the 2026 offseason, they might have a big hole to fill on their defense.
The Colts signed cornerback Charvarius Ward during the 2025 offseason, but the move did not pan out, although that wasn't the fault of the Colts or Ward.
The veteran only appeared in seven games because of suffering three concussions throughout the season.
That has obviously led to concerns about his long-term well-being with what we know about concussions in this day and age.
As a result of those concussions, Ward admitted he is considering retirement and said his father in particular wants him to hang up his cleats.
“If I do come back and play again, if I get one more (concussion), I’ll for sure probably retire," Ward said, per The Athletic's James Boyd.
“The more I beat my brain up, the more it’ll affect me as I get older," he added. "I gotta think about my family and kids, too. So, we’ll see.”
After suffering his second concussion during the season, Ward admitted at that time he wasn't sure if he would play football again.
“I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was like that scary,” Ward said. “It was that scary, you know what I mean, because I was thinking about my life outside of football too.”
Ward remains under contract through the 2027 season.
According to Nick Korte of Over The Cap, Ward has $5 million fully guaranteed in 2026, and another $8 million will be guaranteed by March if he's still on the roster.
Ward also received a $20 million signing bonus from the Colts, and the team could look to get some of that back if the veteran cornerback hangs up his cleats, Korte adds.
So, Ward's retirement could be an expensive one, but protecting his long-term health is way more valuable.
More NFL News
- Titans request interview with former Coach of the Year
- Browns rumor doesn't bode well for head coach search
- Giants and Titans rumor reveals new top candidate for head coach
- Steelers' Chris Boswell was bailed out by a rookie kicker.. And a priest?