Commanders Could Make Splash With $40 Million All-Pro CB

The Washington Commanders proved they weren’t going to wait until the offseason to get a shutdown cornerback when they traded for 4-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore on November 5.

While that signaled a new reality for the Commanders, who are the NFL’s most surprising playoff team, it doesn’t mean Lattimore will be the Commanders’ featured cornerback moving forward.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks one solution for the Commanders in 2025 could be signing NFL All-Pro cornerback and Super Bowl champion Charvarius Ward in free agency.

Ward, who will turn 29 years old in May, has played the last 3 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Knox has Ward ranked as the No. 9 overall available free agent.

“Before Ward landed in San Francisco, he was a 43-game starter for the Chiefs,” Knox wrote. “His extensive playoff experience should attract contenders and rebuilding teams alike. The Commanders should be interested in bolstering their secondary even after adding Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline. Washington is cap-rich and poised to capitalize on a playoff window that is just opening.”

Ward’s Humble Beginnings Led to NFL Stardom

Ward played 2 seasons at Hinds (Mississippi) Community College before transferring to Middle Tennessee for 2 more seasons, where he had 14 pass deflections as a senior in 2017 but wasn’t taken in the 2018 NFL draft.

Ward signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Dallas Cowboys and was on a path to making the 53-man roster when he was traded to the Chiefs 1 week before the regular season. Kansas City put him on their 53-man roster and he played in 13 games and made 2 starts as a rookie — a season most remembered for Ward’s game-clinching interception against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game being waved off after Chiefs defensive end Dee Ford jumped offsides.

The Chiefs made Ward a full-time starter in 2019 and he responded by starting all 16 games and had 74 tackles, 2 interceptions, 10 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble. Most importantly, he was part of the defense that brought Kansas City its first Super Bowl win in 50 years.

Ward was a full-time starter for the Chiefs for 3 seasons before he signed a 3-year, $40.5 million free agent contract with the 49ers before the 2022 season.

In 2023, Ward had the best season of his career with 72 tackles, 5 interceptions, 1 interception return for a touchdown, 1 forced fumble and a league-leading 23 pass deflections. Ward was named NFL All-Pro and a Pro Bowler and helped lead the 49ers to an NFC title before falling to his old team, the Chiefs, in an overtime loss in Super Bowl LVIII.

Calculating Ward’s Cost for Commanders

Ward’s numbers may have been down in 2024, but he’s still just 1 season removed from an NFL All-Pro season and it’s safe to assume he will sign a contract that pays him in the same vicinity of his current salary — he made $13.5 million in 2024 — although the length of the deal is probably where the real debate begins.

That’s money the Commanders could afford to spend, with close to $100 million in salary cap space available.

While Washington’s priority in free agency will likely be signing an elite wide receiver or an elite offensive lineman, cornerback won’t be far behind — it might be worth making a 2-year, $34 million offer or a 1-year, $19 million offer that represents a significant raise on Ward’s current salary.