Charvarius Ward

Mooney Ward makes promise to future team amid 49ers uncertainty

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Plenty of uncertainty looms over 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward as he is primed to enter unrestricted free agency this NFL offseason.

But there's one thing he's absolutely sure of.

"Whatever team I'm on next year gone get the best version of ME," Ward wrote Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I'm HUNGRY."

Ward endured the most tragic year of his life in 2024 following the death of his 1-year-old daughter Amani Joy on Oct. 28. Ward was away from the team for three weeks before ultimately making a return to the field in Week 13.

But the devastating, unimaginable loss is being taken into consideration while Ward weighs his options in free agency. He admitted to reporters after the 49ers' 2024 NFL season ended last month that living in California is a terrible reminder of the worst year of his life.

“It took everything, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually," Ward said on Jan. 8. "It took all of that every day for me to just come here and be able to practice. I wasn’t going to meetings half the time because my social battery was so low. It was hard to be around people. I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me.

"Getting dressed that afternoon for the Bills game, I burst out in tears crying. I couldn’t control it. On the way to the game I was crying. Walking into the stadium I was crying. It was tough. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, for sure." 

And despite returning to the gridiron -- a place where players escape from all the outside noise -- it weighed on the Mississippi native whose girlfriend Monique and family are in Dallas.

“I have a lot of trauma in California,” Ward added. “Every time I get on the plane to back to California, San Jose, Santa Clara, show up here, it’s where I have bad memories. I go through that every day. I go home every night by myself because my girl doesn’t want to come back to California because of what happened.

“It’s hard being alone, and she’s my strength right now. I need her. I get PTSD a lot. I’ll be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating. So it’s tough, but we will see how it goes."

Ward and Monique recently welcomed a baby boy, who could be another source of newfound inspiration for Ward entering his eighth pro season. And while losing a child is something you never heal from, Ward appears more motivated than ever for the upcoming season -- wherever he lands.

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