Why Jimmie Ward Deserves More Recognition
Authentic. Grinder. Intelligent.
These are just a few words I would use to describe 49ers safety Jimmie Ward.
In case you missed it, my editor Grant Cohn had the honor and privilege to interview the underrated safety.
In the interview, a lot about Ward was revealed like how he grew up into football, the challenges he faced entering the league, and just the maturation process of it all. He also demonstrated how hilarious of a guy he is.
“I don’t know why Sammy Watkins went over there (Baltimore). He must not be interested in catching a lot of balls.” Just a quick little subtle shot at Lamar Jackson. No big deal. You can tell that everything about his persona was genuine in the interview. The guy wasn't filtering out much, so what you see is a true representation of Ward.
Because of that, Ward deserves more recognition both from 49ers fans and the national spotlight.
Let me start off with the 49ers fans recognition. Back in 2019 when I first started covering the 49ers, Ward was a pretty polarizing player. That was mainly due to his injury woes. He couldn't find any stroke of luck with his health, and the fact that he was playing on a one-year deal made him seem expendable. But once he returned to good health that year, he proved why he deserved to be a starter and showed his true talents once he can play his natural position. Ward stuck out to me like a top safety in the league and I wrote about it here.
Ward is the longest tenured 49ers player. Given all he has endured, which turned out to elevate him, should make him a fan favorite. It is always a phenomenal sight to see how a player rises with a team and that is what Ward has been doing. He deserves more love from the fans, not to say that isn't true already, but it certainly isn't to the level as other star players on the 49ers. Maybe it is because he doesn't get turnovers, so to the casual fan he doesn't stand out. Whatever the case may be, Ward is a player 49ers fans should start looking to purchase a jersey of because that is admittedly what he would love.
On the national side of things, you have sites like Pro Football Focus and other avenues diminishing the high-level talent that Ward is. Again, it feels like it is a turnover issue, which Ward doesn't generate a lot of. But the reality is safeties reeling in interceptions isn't common. These guys are the last line of defense. They are the safety net, so they need to have blanket coverage. Ward does it so exceptionally that quarterbacks aren't even glancing his way, so of course he isn't going to see interceptions.
Ward is easily a top-five safety. The man deserves his respect and recognition.
