Charvarius Ward gives the KC Chiefs a ‘secret weapon’ in the secondary

Cornerback Charvarius Ward has been recognized as the Chiefs secret weapon.

Bleacher Report recently called cornerback Charvarius Ward the “secret weapon” for the Kansas City Chiefs. It even feels like he’s still sneaking up on his team’s own fan base.

Ward remains a defender in the shadows much of the time, given the acclaim and spotlight of his fellow Chiefs teammates. Tyrann Mathieu and Chris Jones and Frank Clark are all charismatic players on and off the field with production to match their personalities. Even newer players like Juan Thornhill feel like they’re appreciated a bit more—and certainly it’s deserved as well—but it’s interesting how a player like Ward can continue to fly under the radar.

Despite playing for the defending Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs defense is largely overshadowed by the team’s own offensive firepower. Within that, the cornerback position (along with linebacker) has been considered thin and/or lacking at times in recent years—for good reason. Thus, to be a solid performer on an underwhelming unit on the wrong side of the ball will apparently label you a “secret weapon.”

The good news for Ward is that people are noticing at the very moment that he’s getting better. It’s easy to remember that it was only two years ago that the Chiefs even traded for Ward and one season ago that he was locked into a starting role. He was a known project, a developmental pass defender. These moves happen every year as GMs hope they get lucky on a low-risk endeavor.

In his first full season as a starter, Ward not only held off competition to start on the outside but then led the NFL in performance-based pay at the end of it—a sign that his current deal hardly reflected his on-field production. After a season in which Ward had 74 tackles, 5 passes defended, and 2 interceptions in 16 starts, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote:

"While Ward is not yet a lockdown cover man, he is a player on the rise and could creep toward Pro Bowl status.”"

It feels like a bit of a reach to say that Ward could be a Pro Bowler sometime soon. Yes, the ability to play for a contender like the Chiefs will raise a player’s profile. Yes, Ward’s ceiling is as yet unknown given that he is still blooming at the pro level. But it’s important to also maintain perspective and appreciate Ward for what he is.

Part of being a “secret weapon” for Ward isn’t just about being a starter at corner who flies under the radar. It’s also about offering the Chiefs starting-level production on the cheap. Ward will definitely get paid handsomely for his efforts in the next year or two (depending on the Chiefs interest in an extension or whether he hits free agency like Steven Nelson), but for now, the Chiefs are able to employ the aforementioned charismatic stars because Ward is set to make $750K this season.

In the near future, Ward will no longer be a secret weapon. He will earn more credit for what he brings on the field with another season starting for the defending champs. He will secure more for his pocketbook after wrapping up his current three-year deal worth $1.71 million after the 2020 season. At that point, he will just be a weapon and another reason why the Chiefs keep winning.