Horseshoe Huddle

Colts' Charvarius Ward Defied Odds to Join Exclusive Company

New Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie but has now signed two huge contracts as one of the NFL's best corners.

Jake Arthur

Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) celebrates after running back an interception for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) celebrates after running back an interception for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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It's hard enough to make it in the NFL as a late-round draft pick, let alone as an undrafted free agent. Opportunities are limited and the margin for error is razor thin.

However, new Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward defied those odds, going from an undrafted rookie who got traded before the season even began in 2018 to now signing consecutive lucrative contracts with the San Francisco 49ers (3 years, $40.5 million in 2022) and Colts (3 years, $54M in 2025) as one of the best cornerbacks in the game of football.

Recently, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report came across a handful of examples of players like Ward. Specifically, it's a group of seven players in the NFL who were undrafted but now make at least $12 million per year on their contracts: Carl Granderson, Bryce Huff, Alaric Jackson, Patrick Mekari, Terence Steele, Tershawn Wharton, and Ward.

Ward's new deal with the Colts is worth a base of $54M but up to $60M based on incentives. He ranks 17th in the NFL among cornerbacks in average-per-year ($18M) and 19th in total guaranteed money ($27M).

Ward worked his way up to becoming one of the best corners in the game after humbly entering the league as a UDFA from Middle Tennessee State with the Dallas Cowboys. However, he was traded that summer before being able to make an impact with his initial team.

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"In training camp and OTAs, I was strappin' them boys," Ward told the Colts' official podcast of his rookie summer in Dallas. "The 3s that I was going against, the 2s that I was going against, the 1s that I was going against, I was strappin' all them boys. I thought I was going to make the team in Dallas, but Dallas don't make a lot of good decisions, so they ended up trading me to Kansas City, which was the best thing to happen to me."

From there, Ward experienced mounds of success, first with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning Super Bowl LIV, and then moving to the 49ers and earning Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in 2023. Ward and the 49ers made it back to the Super Bowl that year but lost to Ward's former team in Kansas City.

In 102 career games (89 starts), Ward has 435 tackles (9 for loss), 1.0 sack, 3 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered, 10 interceptions, 70 pass breakups, 1 defensive touchdown

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Jake Arthur
JAKE ARTHUR

Jake Arthur has covered the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts for a decade. He is a member of the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) and FantasyPros' expert panel. He has also contributed to multiple NFL Draft guides.

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