SANTA CLARA -- The 49ers won't have one of their best players Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks.
Charvarius Ward is inactive with a knee injury that he suffered Sunday against the Cardinals according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Ward worked out with a trainer on the field before Thursday's game and looked healthy and spry to the untrained eye, but either the trainers shut him down or he shut himself down.
Ward, 28, hasn't missed a game since he signed with the 49ers in 2022. Last year, he had the best season of his career and went to the Pro Bowl. But this offseason the 49ers switched defensive coordinator from Steve Wilks to Nick Sorensen, and so far all of the 49ers defensive backs have suffered considering none of them have intercepted a pass yet.
In the offseason, Ward had groin surgery and missed a few practices during training camp. Then he injured his hamstring a few weeks ago and played through. So he hasn't been 100 percent healthy in a while.
The past two seasons, Ward was the 49ers' kryptonite for Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Now the 49ers will have to find a new way to cover the Seahawks' go-to guy,
Now the 49ers will have to figure out how to cover Seahwaks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.
Expect Isaac Yiadom to replace Ward in the starting lineup and rookie Renardo Green to become the No. 3 cornerback in the nickel defense.
