Charvarius Ward: ‘I’m going to earn my respect this year’

Charvarius Ward says he’s ready to earn some respect in 2020 for the Chiefs.

So far, Charvarius Ward’s steps into the waters as an NFL player have been exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs would have hoped. Now they can only hope the next step will play out the same.

Ward, a starting cornerback coming into his third season in the NFL, says this season is all about respect. The Chiefs as a unit are often disrespected at cornerback—even for a Super Bowl champ—and Ward has a significant opportunity to change that perception.

During training camp on Wednesday, Ward spoke with Chiefs reporters and addressed his goals for this year. Along with running it back, Ward stated that he’s ready to establish his game enough to earn the respect of his peers.

"“Honestly, I feel like I could be one of the best young corners in the game as long as I just keep believing in myself and having confidence in myself off the field and on the field,” Ward said. “The sky is the limit. I feel like I’m going to be one of the best young corners in the game this season. I’m going to earn my respect this year.”"

The Chiefs first traded for Ward in a preseason deal just before active rosters were due for the 2018 season. They sent offensive lineman Parker Ehinger to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Ward, who was a rookie free agent out of Middle Tennessee State at the time. Ward landed a spot on the team’s active roster and slowly began to climb the depth chart.

During the end of the 2018 season, head coach Andy Reid took note of the development of Ward’s game and the team deemed him safe enough to start down the stretch despite being locked in a tough playoff run.

From there, Ward was penciled in as a starter heading into 2019 and it was a position he’d secure for all 16 games and the postseason as well. Ward ended up leading the league in performance-based pay as an underpaid player punching far above his pay grade on the field. In his first full season as a starting corner, Ward had 74 tackles, 10 batted passes, and 2 interceptions.

Now Ward has a full body of work upon which to build. His natural instincts should be able to kick in after a year in Steve Spagnuolo’s system, which means Ward will be that much quicker to the ball. He’ll also recognize offensive tendencies that much more as well and his chemistry with teammates like Bashaud Breeland and Rashad Fenton should be stronger.

The Chiefs are going to need Ward to take that next step if they are going to successfully defend their Super Bowl title in 2020. Breeland will be suspended for the first quarter of the season, and the team lost veteran Kendall Fuller to Washington in free agency. There are incoming rookies to provide depth, but the early season could be a bit dicey in the secondary.

If Ward can take the next step, the Chiefs will have another star on defense at a major point of need. The timing of Ward’s ascent could be coming at just the right time.