Getty The 49ers' Charvarius Ward
The 49ers’ loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 was not all that old when cornerback Charvarius Ward noted a tweet from Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. To be fair, Gardner was not so much trashing the 49ers as he was giving a thumbs-up to the Chiefs and their ability to squeeze out wins when they look overmatched.
Three times in this postseason, in fact, it looked like the Chiefs were not the better team, but walked away with wins over Buffalo, Baltimore and now, the 49ers.
So Gardner tweeted late Sunday night/early Monday morning: “I told y’all. The 9ers might look better on paper but the Chiefs always find a way.”
Ward, in a post he later deleted, shot right back at Gardner: “Boy yo a** ain’t never sniffed the playoffs. You watching from the couch. Worry bout the sorry ass JETS. Everybody got something to say about the team in the Super Bowl. Your opinion doesn’t need to be heard kid.”
Sauce Gardner Calls 49ers an ‘Elite Team’
Gardner has, individually, established himself as an elite cornerback in the NFL, earning two All-Pro selections in his first two seasons in the NFL. He led the NFL with 20 passes defended as a rookie. He is only 23 and has a bright career in front of him.
Maybe that is why Ward, who is 27 and has been in the NFL for six seasons, including one in which he won a championship with the Chiefs—when they beat the 49ers in 2019—decided to delete the tweet. Gardner is young and pretty obviously meant no harm, was not taking a cheap shot at the 49ers.
Gardner, who usually is active on social media, made that point later two hours later: “49ers fans so mad I stated facts. They literally an elite team all around. Y’all take everything the wrong way on this app lol.”
49ers fans so mad I stated facts. They literally an elite team all around. Y’all take everything the wrong way on this app lol
Ultimately, Ward is right in noting that the Jets have been a sad sack in the two years since Gardner has been in the NFL. They’re 14-20 and have not been to the postseason in either of Gardner’s seasons.
49ers’ Charvarius Ward: ‘No Moral Victories’
Ward, like all the 49ers, was disappointed in the postgame locker room. He might have been a bit more disappointed than others, though, given his history with the Chiefs and the fact that they did not re-sign him when he was a free agent in 2022. At the time, Ward knew that Kansas City did not have the money to keep him, but still, vengeance on a team that did not make you a priority is especially sweet.
After the game, Ward said, “We felt like we was the best team in the league this season but, I mean, we weren’t. We were the second-best team in the league this year. Shout out to Kansas City, they played a good game.”
As for the season, there was only some small comfort for Ward in the consolation prize.
“It was a great season, but I mean, no moral victories,” he said. “We want to win a Super Bowl and we didn’t get that done. So, just get ready, start preparing for next season and try to reach our ultimate goal.”