It's officially crunch time for the San Francisco 49ers.
Not only are the 49ers in danger of missing the playoffs, but they know their window could be closing any year now. They've already had to dish out expensive contract extensions to several stars, which means many of their free agents could be gone this spring without much of a fight.
The 49ers recently extended cornerback Deommodore Lenoir with a whopping five-year, $92 million deal, rewarding the 25-year-old for his excellent play. But Lenoir signing a big deal also indicates that San Francisco's other top corner could be headed elsewhere.
28-year-old Charvarius Ward, who was an All-Pro last season in the second of his three years on a $40.5 million deal with San Francisco, figures to cash in another high-priced contract after improving his game on the West Coast.
The Indianapolis Colts could be the beneficiaries of Ward's services if the 49ers elect to let him walk. Dallas Robinson of Pro Football Network recently predicted that Ward would sign with the Colts this spring.
"One of the more physical corners in the game, Charvarius Ward landed a free agent payday with the 49ers in 2022 and has continued his feisty play in San Francisco. His 37 pass breakups are the second-most in the NFL over the past two-plus seasons," Robinson said.
"The Colts lost former second-round CB JuJu Brents to a season-ending knee injury earlier this month. While Kenny Moore II is a stalwart in the slot, Indy has struggled to find competent outside cornerbacks in recent seasons. General manager Chris Ballard tends to avoid free agency, but Ward could be a fit for the Colts."
Ward, who is mourning the passing of his one-year-old daughter, has been away from the 49ers since late October. Prior to his absence, he played in seven games for San Francisco this season, totaling 26 tackles and five pass breakups, without an interception.
If the Colts or any other team decides to up the bidding war for Ward this spring, it's hard to see the 49ers staying involved. They've got too many other big contracts on the books, and potentially more (see: Purdy) on the way.
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