NFL Superstar Is Considering Retirement At Age 29 Due To Multiple Concussions
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Indianapolis Colts standout cornerback Charvarius Ward is mulling retirement ahead of his 30th birthday.
After three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Charvarius Ward signed a three-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts worth $54 million. Unfortunately, Ward suffered three concussions during the 2025 season and was limited to seven games.
And now, the 29-year-old (he turns 30 in May) is considering putting his health first and calling it a career, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder:
“With the brain injuries, you don’t really see it …until you get older sometimes. I’m still a pretty young guy and the more I beat my brain up, the more it’ll affect me as I get older. So, I’ve got a lot of life to live out of football. I’ve got to think about my family and kids, too. So, we’ll see.”
There’s no shortage of notable NFL players who retired early because of concussions. Former 49ers linebacker Chris Borland retired at the age of 24 in 2015, following his rookie season.
Carolina Panthers legend and former star linebacker Luke Kuechly also called it quits at the age of 28 in 2020. After retiring at 28 in 2022, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star guard Ali Marpet cited his history of head-related injuries.
Charvarius Ward and trade deadline pickup Sauce Gardner formed one of the league’s best cornerback duos in 2025. Losing Ward to retirement would be a blow for Indy, but nobody can blame him if he prioritizes his health.
There’s Nothing Else For Charvarius Ward To Play For
Ward has tens of millions of dollars in the bank and won a Super Bowl 54 ring with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 season. There is really nothing else for him to play for except extra money.
There are too many tragic stories about NFL players dealing with things like depression, mood swings, and alcohol/substance abuse and memory loss in their post-playing careers. The advanced knowledge in CTE is also eye-opening and horrendous to think about.
Ward isn’t even 30 and already has a concerning amount of head-related injuries. He has to decide what’s best for him and his family, but this certainly feels like the right time to walk away.
