Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward considered retirement after a season marred by multiple concussions that had him contemplating his future.
The 30-year-old, however, didn't want his career to end that way.
"I feel good," Ward said Wednesday, via the team’s official website. "I've just been working on myself and I didn't want to finish my career like I finished last season. A lot of stuff happened out of my control. Emotionally, I wasn't ready like I thought I was going to be ready. So getting my family out here this season, they're closer with me. That's going to help me out a lot, being whole and happy."
In his first season in Indy, the veteran corner played in just seven games. The concussion concerns were just part of the equation. Ward admitted that the pain from losing his 23-month-old daughter, Amani Joy, in 2024 to heart problems played a role in why he'd considered retirement.
"Last year, I had the motivation, but it was kind of like I was trying to fake it because I was sad at the same time," Ward said. "Now, I'm happy and I'm grinding, and I'm feeling much better physically."
The concussions and depression from losing a child put Ward in a bad spot. He said he's in a different mental space in 2026.
"I felt like it was clear I wasn't at my best last year," Ward said. "When your heart and your head aren't right, your career and your profession are probably not going to be right either. This offseason I just worked on getting my heart and my head right, just feeling fulfilled -- like a good man, a good person, happy person. If I'm happy off the field, I already know what I'm going to do on the field. It'll kind of come easy to me at this point in my life and career."
Part of what has helped Ward is his 17-month-old son, Charvarius Jr.
"He put light back into my life," he said of his son.
Ward's story is the latest reminder that while we can analyze play during 60-minute games or numerous practices, there is much more that goes into life for the men who patrol the gridiron.
