With the addition of Lou Anarumo, the Colts were switching both their defense and their defensive coordinator. There was one obvious need on the Colts team: their secondary. With that being said, the Colts went out and spoke to players who could help their secondary until they found a couple. Safety Cam Bynum signed first with the Colts, agreeing to a four-year, $60 million deal. Bynum took care of one need, but they still needed a starting-level corner who could play in Anarumo’s system. That need was eventually filled when the Colts identified a cornerback they needed: Charvaris “Mooney” Ward. But after one year in Indianapolis, Ward is facing a decision he did not expect to be making so soon.
Ward spoke with the media at his locker on exit day and said his father wanted him to retire, and that he is considering it. For those who are not aware, Ward suffered three concussions during the 2025 season. Two of those concussions landed Ward on the short-term Injured Reserve list this season, including one concussion that took place in a pregame collision with a teammate. All in all, Ward missed ten games this season with the issues related to the concussions and the symptoms. Given how this season went health-wise, what is Ward looking at if he continues to play?
With Ward having a history of concussions, more than likely, if he suffers another one, it will take him longer to recover. And that is just the short-term version of things he would face. In the long-term, Ward could have things like cognitive decline, depression, memory loss and even Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE. These things could affect Ward's quality of life even after he is done playing the game. As we have seen with some former players who have retired from the game, these issues have caused health problems and even led to an early end to their lives.
But on the flipside, this is the game that Ward loves to play. He has probably been playing it since he was a kid. Asking him to leave it alone for his health is something that will be hard to convince him to do. Plenty of players with health issues try to find ways around and risk their health to continue to play. And just as with risk, some beat it and some end up paying for it one way or another. Either way, it is a dangerous game to play, especially with the quality of life that you may or may not have after taking this risk.
Ward, like players before him, has a choice to make, and it is not going to be easy. Does he play, or does he take his father's advice and retire? The best thing for Ward is that, over time, he will make the most informed decision for himself, his family, and his quality of life, now and in the future.