The San Francisco 49ers will likely undergo serious roster turnover, and one of their best players isn’t sure if he’ll be on the way out.
After San Francisco’s deflating 12-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on December 12, eyes are turning toward the future. The 49ers don’t have a real shot at making the playoffs now and that means the 2025 offseason is getting an early start.
For 2023 Pro Bowl CB Charvarius Ward, the future is still murky despite the free agency window being months away.
“There’s been a dark cloud over us all season,” Ward said to The Athletic reporter Michael Silver. “This will be a good offseason for this team to regroup, refocus and try to rekindle the spark… I don’t know if I’m gonna be back, but I know this team is still gonna be great, with or without me.”
It’s not a commitment either way, but the lack of clarity at this point in the season points toward Ward testing the waters in free agency. Ward is one of several pending free agents for the 49ers, and he may be the most important of the bunch.
San Francisco’s Likely Free Agents in 2025
According to Spotrac, the Niners have 22 players that are set to be free agents. While RB Jordan Mason is a restricted free agent and TE Jake Tonges has the exclusive rights tag, there are 20 players that will be completely free to sign elsewhere if they don’t sign contract extensions.
Ward is the highest-paid player that could potentially leave, followed by LB Dre Greenlaw. Safety Talanoa Hufanga is the only other consistent defensive starter that could hit the market. making less than The former USC Trojan is still on his rookie deal and is making less than $1 million this season.
Offensively, most of the key pieces are locked up. However, guard Aaron Banks has been a standout player but is yet to extend his contract. There is concern on the offensive line, as fellow guards Ben Bartch and Jon Feliciano are also headed toward free agency.
San Francisco will likely bring back at least one of those guards, but who gets the call is unclear.
49ers Star Speaks on De’Vondre Campbell Quitting
Ward spoke on his future, but he also had some words for soon-to-be former teammate LB De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell, who was also set to be a free agent in 2025, walked off the field and refused to play against the Rams.
Ward claims that it was because he was frustrated that Greenlaw was the primary LB after his return from a torn Achilles.
“That was [De’Vondre Campbell’s] plan,” Ward said. “He had his mind made up. I mean, it’s crazy. He’s not a better player than Dre. You saw that today — (Greenlaw)’s the engine of our defense, the guy who starts everything for us. But you could see (Campbell’s decision not to play) coming for a while.”
Ward is the only 49ers player that mentioned anything about the quitting being predetermined. Either way, Campbell’s time in San Francisco, and possibly the NFL as a whole, is over.
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