It is not entirely unheard of, but players retiring early in the NFL due to health concerns always brings back painful memories. The latest to join this unfortunate list, including AJ Tarpley and Chris Borland, could be Patrick Mahomes’ ex-teammate Chravarius Ward. With three documented concussions, Mahomes‘s former teammate (now with the Colts) is seriously contemplating retirement at age 29. 

“My daddy told me retire,” Ward said, via an X post by James Boyd of The Athletic. “If I do come back and play again, if I get one more [concussion], I’ll for sure probably retire.”

Charvarius Ward Sr.’s 2025 campaign with the Colts was supposed to be a fresh start after signing a lucrative $60 million deal in the offseason. Instead, it became a medical nightmare. Ward suffered three concussions in a single season, which raised alarms both medically and in his inner circle. 

Given how this season unfolded, Ward hinting that another concussion could end his career hardly comes out of nowhere. Back in November, Ward’s second concussion was truly “traumatic,” which occurred during pregame warmups in Week 6 after a freaky collision with teammate Drew Ogletree. He was “throwing up, getting dizzy” for a month. At one point, he thought his football career might be over. 

“I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was that scary. Because I was thinking about my life outside of football, too,” he shared in November. 

Then, again in December, he sustained a third documented concussion that ended his season prematurely. He played just seven games for Indianapolis, where he posted 25 tackles, including 17 solo, with 7 passes defended and one fumble recovery. Ultimately, it has been an alarming number of concussions for the NFL player, who said that before this year, he’d only had one concussion in his pro career. 

Last season, when Tua Tagovailoa sustained his fourth documented concussion, there was a surge in debates over whether he should retire. Ultimately, he chose to return, but another player just two years older than Tagovailoa is now facing that same harrowing crossroads. And he may reach a different conclusion.

Ward’s 2025 season may have been plagued by concussions, but he’s racked up an impressive portfolio over the years. As Mahomes’ former teammate at the Kansas City Chiefs, he earned his Super Bowl ring against the San Francisco 49ers (the team he later joined) in 2020. Recording four tackles that night, he crowned himself as “forever a champ.” Though he’s currently focused on his recovery, he’ll have to consider some monetary factors before declaring his retirement. 

Colts’ Charvarius Ward’s expensive retirement scenario 

Charvarius Ward’s Colts contract is built with heavy early protection, which makes the concussion conversation impossible to ignore. He secured $27 million guaranteed at signing through his $20 million bonus, 2025 salary, and a portion of his next year’s pay, with another $7.98 million set to fully vest on the fifth day of the new league year.

“It could be an expensive retirement unless the Colts are gracious, but w/concussions, of course, understandable,” remarked NFL contract analyst Nick Korte. 

November 30, 2025: Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins 12 runs with the ball after the catch as Indianapolis Colts defensive back Charvarius Ward 7 pursues during NFL, American Football Herren, USA game action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. /CSM Indianapolis United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251130_zma_c04_092 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx

That structure leaves Indianapolis facing a significant cap consequence if Ward were to step away early, with more than $18 million in dead money tied to the deal. It is a contract that reflects belief in his upside, but also the risk attached to a season where his health has already forced difficult questions.

The Colts technically have the right to “claw back” a portion of Ward’s $20 million signing bonus for the years he won’t be playing. Under the NFL collective bargaining agreement, teams can seek to recoup part of a signing bonus if a player voluntarily retires or otherwise breaches the contract. Teams are often hesitant to play hardball with a player returning due to serious head trauma. However, given the franchise’s cap situation, they cannot afford such lucrative dead money.

The post Only 29-YO, Patrick Mahomes’ Ex-Teammate Seriously Contemplating Retirement After Multiple Concussions appeared first on EssentiallySports.



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