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The San Francisco 49ers have built a playoff-worthy roster, but they could see one of their top players jump ship to the Los Angeles Rams. Charvarius Ward has been a key piece since arriving in San Francisco. But the corner is now being named a candidate to join the Rams in 2025 free agency.
On September 30, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department put out predictions for teams’ 2025 offseason moves. Ward is named as their big-ticket free agency item.
“Tre’Davious White is only on a one-year deal and Los Angeles doesn’t have much depth at cornerback to lean on for next season and beyond. The position will be one of the team’s needs in the offseason, and it would be nice to steal one of the Rams’ biggest rival’s top defensive players,” the article states.
Ward was a 2023 Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro after leading the league in passes defended (23) and nabbing five interceptions. He has had a strong start to 2024 as well, as he has registered a PD in all four games.
However, he is in the final year of his current deal with San Francisco. The 49ers and general manager John Lynch have worked magic with the salary cap. But paying another star is not easy to budget.
Ward in Final Year of Contract
Ward joined the 49ers ahead of the 2022 season on a three-year, $40.5 million deal. There’s no doubt that Ward has lived up to his contract, which was backloaded to save San Francisco money during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
But as Spotrac shows, his deal setup a far bigger salary cap hit for the 2024 season. Ward is receiving a $12.56 million salary this year and his contract counts as a $18.4 million cap hit.
Considering that Ward will turn 30 next offseason, he will be looking for one more big NFL contract. He had earned just $4.1 million over his first four seasons in the league. This next deal will be critical for him and agents Robert Brown and Kevin Conner.
While the former Middle Tennessee State standout has had success with the 49ers, money talks. San Francisco will likely face significant competition for his signature, and the Rams could be one of the teams interested.
49ers Linked to Miami OL Standout
While Ward is named a Rams option, B/R links the 49ers with Miami Dolphins veteran OL Liam Eichenberg. Eichenberg hasn’t had the easiest trek with Miami, but is playing at a high level in 2024.
“San Francisco could use an upgrade and a younger option at center over Jake Brendel, who turned 32 years old earlier this month. Additionally, Jon Feliciano and Aaron Banks are impending free agents… [Eichenberg] appears to have found a home at guard and has been playing well through the first three games of 2024 with just three pressures surrendered and a 78.4 run-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus.”
While not a sure-fire option, Eichenberg is a former second-round pick who has improved with time. In terms of adding a player that make sense financially, Eichenberg seems like a fit for San Francisco.