2024 is a do-or-die season for the San Francisco 49ers, for many different reasons.
As the most recent Super Bowl losers, the 49ers have unfinished business to attend to, and their season has gotten off to a murky 2-2 start. They righted the ship with a 30-13 win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, but injuries are still plaguing the entire roster.
Beyond the current health predicament, the 49ers have to capitalize on this season because it is the last year starting quarterback Brock Purdy will be the cheapest signal-caller around. He can demand an extension this spring, and San Francisco will likely have to give it to him, putting their cap space in a much more precarious position.
As Purdy becomes more expensive, other superstars may not fit within the 49ers' budget. That includes All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward, who is set to hit free agency after the season.
On Monday, Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department predicted that Ward would land with the Los Angeles Rams in the spring, creating a possible nightmare scenario for San Francisco.
"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 authors said.
"Ward is coming off an outstanding campaign where he recorded a career-high five interceptions and NFL-best 23 passes defended. It looks like he's picked up right where he left off with one PD in each of the 49ers' first three games."
Ward, 28, is in prime position to cash in as a free agent after a stellar 2023 season. He had a career-high five interceptions and took over as the top dog in the 49ers secondary when safety Talanoa Hufanga suffered a season-ending injury. All he has to do is keep his foot on the gas in 2024, and he'll get paid.
Whether the Rams will be the team to pay him is another question. They're in the middle of the pack in projected salary cap space, an improvement over the peak of the Matthew Stafford/Jalen Ramsey/Aaron Donald years, but could choose to address other needs
One thing is for certain: If the 49ers are going to lose Ward, their strong preference would be that he goes anywhere but the NFC West. Unfortunately, that decision is beyond their control.
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