Four years ago, cornerback Charvarius Ward was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs when they last met the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
But for the past two seasons Ward has played for the 49ers, so he’ll face many of his old teammates in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday.
During the Opening Night festivities at Allegiant Stadium on Monday, a reporter asked Charvarius Ward what it was like being with the 49ers instead of the Chiefs.
“It’s better over here,” said Ward.
When asked to elaborate, Ward simply said: “In every way. In every way possible.”
Ward’s words could serve as bulletin-board material for the Chiefs, who are already motivated enough as 2-point underdogs while playing in a pro-49ers
Only Ward knows whether he is experiencing improved accommodations with the San Francisco 49ers, Ward as a football player has been better with the 49ers than he was with the Chiefs, despite winning a Super Bowl with them in his third season.
Charvarius Ward has an All-Pro season
Charvarius Ward has enjoyed his best season under the guidance of 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who coached defensive backs for 11 NFL seasons before getting his first coordinator job in Carolina.
Ward was invited to his first Pro Bowl and named a second-team NFL All-Pro for a season that included a career-high five interceptions, as the 49ers tied for the league lead in picks with 22. He also had an NFL-best 23 passes defensed.
The San Francisco 49ers got the shutdown cornerback they were hoping for when they signed Ward, formerly undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State, to a three-year, $42 million contract as a free agent after the 2021 season.
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No San Francisco 49ers know Mahomes as well as Charvarius Ward
On Sunday, Ward will be playing in his 17th playoff game, tying him with Asante Samuel for the most of any player in NFL history through six seasons. It was also be his third Super Bowl, but his first for the 49ers, coming against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his teammate for four seasons in Kansas City.
Ward will likely be locked on Rashee Rice, the Chiefs’ rookie receiver, for much of Sunday’s game. Regardless, if anyone in the 49ers’ locker room knows Mahomes’ capabilities, it’s Ward.
“With Pat, you just never know,” said Ward, who according to Pro Football Focus graded as the sixth-best cornerback and fourth in pass coverage.
“Even if we’re up 10 or 14 in the fourth quarter, we have to continue to press on and continue to grind. Because, with Pat, it can switch at any moment once he gets the momentum, he’s damn near impossible to stop.”