Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle said Friday, that after the 49ers' "Thursday Night Football" win over the Seattle Seahawks, cornerback Charvarius Ward told him he had a concussion.
I spoke to Charvarius Ward in the locker room last night. The first thing he told me was, 'I have a concussion.' Respect to Kyle Shanahan for not putting him back out there but... how the hell was he cleared to return? The NFL's system is... not functioning at a high level.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) December 16, 2022
ESPN's Nick Wagoner reported late in the contest that Ward had been cleared from the concussion protocol and could return to the field. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said following the game that he "didn't feel totally right" about putting the 26-year-old back in, so he decided to keep him out of action.
Ward finished the game with six tackles, two passes defended, and one fumble recovery despite recording his second-lowest snap total (52) of the season.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and helping them defeat his current employer in Super Bowl LIV, the Middle Tennessee St. product signed with the Niners in March. Ward's started all 14 games this season and has a career-high 76 tackles and career-high and team-high 11 passes defended this year.
With San Francisco playing the Thursday game this week, Ward will have a bit of extra time to get ready for Week 16. The 49ers will host the Washington Commanders at 4:05 p.m. ET on Dec. 24.
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