It is not entirely unheard of, but players retiring early in the NFL due to health concerns always brings back painful memories. The latest to join this unfortunate list, including AJ Tarpley and Chris Borland, could be Patrick Mahomes’ ex-teammate Charvarius Ward. With three concussions in 2025, Mahomes‘ former teammate (now with the Colts) is seriously contemplating retirement at the age of 29. 

“My daddy told me retire,” Ward Sr. said, via an X post by James Boyd of The Athletic. “If I do come back and play again, if I get one more [concussion], I’ll for sure probably retire.”

Charvarius Ward Sr.’s 2025 campaign with the Colts was supposed to be a fresh start after signing a lucrative $60 million deal in March 2025. Instead, it became a medical nightmare. Ward suffered three concussions in a single season, raising eyebrows within the locker room and among the fans. 

Ward suffered his first concussion in the season opener against the Miami Dolphins and was sidelined for Week 2. His second experience was quite “traumatic.” It happened during the pregame warmups in Week 6 after a terrifying hit with teammate Drew Ogletree. He was “throwing up, getting dizzy” for a month. At one point, he thought his football career might be over. 

“I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was that scary. Because I was thinking about my life outside of football, too,” he shared in November 2025 after making his return. 

Then, again in December (Week 14 game vs Jacksonville Jaguars), he sustained a third documented concussion that ended his season prematurely. He played just seven games for Indianapolis, where he posted 25 tackles, including 17 solo, with 7 passes defended and one fumble recovery. Having three concussions in a short span is certainly an alarming number. 

Last season, when Tua Tagovailoa sustained his fourth documented concussion, there was constant debate over his future and retirement. However, he chose to return, but another player just two years older than Tagovailoa is now facing that same harrowing crossroads.

When you look back into the history, former Bills linebacker A.J Tarpley chose to step out of his football career at 23 owing to multiple concussions. Similarly, ex-Packers WR Adrian Coxson, former Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah and Panthers’ Luke Kuechly followed a similar trajectory.

Ward’s 2025 season may have been plagued by concussions, but he’s racked up an impressive portfolio over the years. As Mahomes’ former teammate at the Kansas City Chiefs (2018-2021), he earned his Super Bowl ring against the San Francisco 49ers (the team he later joined) in 2020. Recording four combined tackles that night, he crowned himself as “forever a champ.” Though he’s currently focused on his recovery, he’ll have to consider some monetary factors before announcing his retirement. 

Charvarius Ward’s expensive retirement scenario unveiled

Charvarius Ward’s Colts contract is structured with a financial protection, which makes the concussion conversation impossible to ignore. The deal assures him $35 million in guaranteed money and a $20 million bonus with an average annual value of $18 million over three years.

“It could be an expensive retirement unless the Colts are gracious, but w/concussions, of course, understandable,” remarked NFL contract analyst Nick Korte. 

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That structure leaves Indianapolis facing a significant cap consequence if Ward were to step away early, with more than $18 million in dead money tied to the deal. It is a contract that reflects belief in his upside, but also the risk attached to a season where his health has already forced difficult questions.

The Colts technically have the right to “claw back” a portion of Ward’s $20 million signing bonus for the years he won’t be playing. Under the NFL collective bargaining agreement, teams can seek to recoup part of a signing bonus if a player voluntarily retires or otherwise breaches the contract. Teams are often hesitant to play hardball with a player returning due to serious head trauma. However, given the franchise’s cap situation, they cannot afford such lucrative dead money.