Niners Nation
Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward are free agents in 2025. The 49ers invested in the secondary this past draft, and they have not disappointed.
The best organizations in the NFL always think one and two years down the line. In the San Francisco 49ers' case, the $50 million they have in cap space in 2024 will be needed for potential cuts, dead money they need to eat moving forward and extending free agents who are vital to the team’s success.
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir’s mega extension accounts for some of that future cap space. Brock Purdy’s inevitable deal will eat into a significant chunk of said space. The second half of the season will determine whether the 49ers bring back three notable free agents: Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, and Talanoa Hufanga.
ESPN listed the aforementioned names in the top 25 free agents for 2025. Ward, who turns 29 next year, was No. 5 on the list:
Why he could get paid: Ward has the man-coverage ability to press or pedal off the ball, along with the backfield vision to make plays in zone coverage. He posted career-best numbers in 2023 with five interceptions and 14 pass breakups. And while he hasn’t created the same on-the-ball production this season — zero interceptions, four pass breakups — Ward’s experience and technically sound game could upgrade a secondary. — Bowen
What we’re hearing: Ward has a similar outlook to Reed. He’s a third-contract player who’s in his prime after playing out a three-year deal. The 49ers would love to keep Ward, whom some league evaluators consider a top-10 corner in the NFL, but bloated salaries on their books could be a factor. Six different veterans have a $20-plus-million hit on the 2025 cap, while 10 have at least a $10 million hit — including Ward’s $12.3 million in void money. — Fowler
Ward could fall victim to circumstances he has no control over, such as his age and the other contracts on the Niners.
You need three competent cornerbacks to excel against the pass in today’s NFL. This feels like the first time you could say that during the Kyle Shanahan era. It’s no surprise that the 49ers, despite not boasting their usual terrifying pass rush, rank second in schedule-adjusted efficiency against the pass.
In Week 10, injuries forced the 49ers to play a cornerback who seldom saw the field in Rock Ya-Sin. You can never have enough depth, but it also helps to hit on your rookies. Renardo Green has been excellent in man, zone, and as a tackler.
To say Green’s first half has made Ward expendable comes off as hyperbolic. Mooney is coming off an All-Pro season and is still the most physically gifted cornerback on the roster, someone you’d trust against the upper-echelon receivers the Niners will face in the playoffs.
But money matters, and age is factored in, as is how much you have allocated to said position. It’s premature to say the 49ers chose Lenoir...
