Ward set to return for 49ers' Week 18 game vs. Cardinals

SANTA CLARA —The 49ers expect Charvarius Ward to return to the team on Wednesday after missing the Week 17 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Kyle Shanahan spoke to the local media on a Tuesday conference call and shared that the personal reason for the veteran cornerback’s absence was positive, but the 49ers coach refrained from revealing the details.

“Since he hasn’t [shared] yet, I should let him do that, but it’s positive stuff,” Shanahan said. “I’d like to, but I haven’t talked to him, so I’ll let him do that.”

Prior to the Ward’s absence, the All-Pro revealed to NBC Sports Bay Area that he and his family were expecting the arrival of a baby boy. In recent weeks, the Middle Tennessee State product has been making stops at his Texas home before returning to the Bay Area.

Ward previously missed three games earlier this season, Weeks 10-12, following the tragic loss of his nearly two-year old daughter, Amani Joy, who was the inspiration behind the cornerback’s standout 2023 season when he led the league in pass breakups.

Set to become a free agent after the season, Ward likely will choose a team that is closer to his home in Texas for the next stop of his NFL career, but it appears that he will suit up in red and gold at least one more time to close out the season in the 49ers’ Week 18 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

The 49ers have planned ahead for the 2025 season, drafting cornerback Renardo Green in 2024 and signing Deommodore Lenoir to a five-year $89.8 million extension earlier in the season.