Charvarius Ward Opens Up on Daughter's Death, Severe Concussions After Return to Colts

Since putting together the best season of his career in 2023, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward has dealt with tragedy and injuries that almost made him step away from football.

In 2024, Ward lost his 23-month-old daughter, Amani Joy. In 2025, he played just seven games while dealing with three different concussions.

Following the death of his daughter, Ward dealt with spells of depression while preparing for the season. Things were especially hard when he was away from his family during training camp.

"I tried to tough it out," Ward said, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. "Mentally and emotionally, I got to the point in training camp where it had got real hard for me. ... I had some rough moments in camp. I was having those thoughts, 'Man, I don't know if I can do it.'"

That mental toll, combined with a season riddled with serious injuries, led to Ward considering retirement following the 2025 campaign.

"The more I beat my brain up, the more it'll affect me as I get older," Ward said at the time. "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."

Given the circumstances, nobody would have blamed Ward if he decided to call it a career, but he knew he couldn't walk away just yet.

"I've just been working on myself, and I didn't want to finish my career [the way] I finished last season," Ward said.