Colts Could See Charvarius Ward Retire in 2026

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward gave a definitive answer when asked about his future in the NFL.

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) attempts to bring down Las Vegas Raiders Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. (86) on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Raiders 40-6. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts have concluded their 2025 season after losing to the Houston Texans, 38-30. This marked the second-straight season with an underwhelming 8-9 record.

With Indy's season over and offseason preparations soon to be underway, players were asked many questions by the media about 2025 and what's ahead. One of the more interesting players interviewed was Colts cornerback, Charvarius Ward.

Ward's 2025 campaign was a rough one, as he only played in seven games due to sustaining a wild trio of concussions. This put his future in the NFL, and with the Colts, seriously into question.

He was asked about this circumstance, and his response was one of pure honesty.

"My Dad told me to retire - but I don't think I'm going to do it. I just gotta see how I feel this offseason. I know going into next season, if I do come back to play again, if I get one more, I'll for sure probably retire if I get one more concussion.

It was crazy though just dealing with all of those headaches all season, it's a painful, frustrating thing, hopefully I don't have to go through that again."

#Colts CB Charvarius Ward Sr.:

“If I do come back and play again, if I get one more (concussion), I’ll for sure probably retire. …”

“The more I beat my brain up, the more it’ll affect me as I get older. … I gotta think about my family and kids, too. So, we’ll see. …” pic.twitter.com/SnJXHDDf4c

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 5, 2026

"Just having those concussions and headaches is kind of aggravating, and you know, with the brain injuries, like, you don't really see it until you get older sometimes, and I'm still a pretty young guy.

The more I beat my brain up, the more it affects me as I get older. I've got a lot of life to live outside of football, I gotta think about my family and kids too. We'll see, I've got some decisions to make for sure."

Ward was signed during the 2025 offseason to bolster then-new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's coverage. Ward committed to a three-year, $54 million deal and immediately slotted in as the top corneback on the roster.

When he was available this season, Ward shined, putting up Pro Football Focus defensive grades of 77.1 overall, 77.4 coverage, and 73.7 in run defense.

He also had seven pass breakups in as many games, giving the estimate that he would have logged 17 for the year, which would have been the second-most of his impressive NFL tenure.

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Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) can’t hold onto a pass intended for him in the third quarter as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) defends him during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jaguars won 36-19[Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After Indianapolis started the season as one of the best teams in the NFL, it suddenly became a year where the team might make a push for a Super Bowl before the floor fell out from underneath.

This prompted general manager Chris Ballard to execute a blockbuster trade for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets. Ballard surrendered two first-round picks (2026 and 2027) for the dynamic defender.

Once this was done, Indy immediately had arguably the best cornerback duo in the league, as both Ward and Gardner can be classified as quintessential 'lockdown' defenders.

Sadly, Ward struggled with concussions and Gardner suffered a calf strain that grossly limited how often this tandem got to play together, and Anarumo's defense suffered.

The hope is that Ward can avoid any further setbacks that might threaten to end his NFL career, and it's not a given that he'll even return to play in 2026 with how unsure he sounded when discussing the matter to the media.

Ward's status will be one to monitor closely, as concussions and brain injuries are absolutely no joke in the NFL, and are unfortunately part of the game.

If Ward decides to lace up the cleats in 2026, it will give the Colts' defense the deadly cornerback duo with Gardner that they wanted to see more of during the 2025 season.