Charvarius Ward Reflects On Future With 49ers After Daughter's Tragic Death

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward is grappling with unimaginable grief following the death of his daughter, Amani Joy, and he's uncertain whether California will remain part of his future.

In a candid and emotional conversation with reporters on Monday, January 6, Ward opened up about the ongoing trauma he faces and how it has impacted both his personal and professional life.

The cornerback revealed that he continues to suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the wake of his daughter's death.

"I get PTSD a lot," he told reporters in the locker room. "I be throwing up, waking up in the middle of the night all the time, sweating and stuff like that. It's tough, it's tough. But, you know, we'll see how it goes. It's going to be interesting for sure."

"I've got a lot of trauma in California," Ward admitted. "I had a lot of great times, but the worst thing that's ever happened to me, that's probably going to ever happen to me — knock on wood — happened in California. It can just bring up bad memories. Every time I get on a plane and come back to California, Santa Clara, San Jose, and show up here, it just brings up bad memories."

Ward went on to describe the emotional weight he carries daily, sharing how his girlfriend, Monique Cook, has also struggled to return to California after their daughter's passing.

"I go through that every day," Ward said. "I go home every night by myself because my girl, she doesn't want to come back to California because of what happened. So, it is hard being alone, and she's my strength right now. I need her, and so her not being able to be around me if I'm in California, it'd be tough."

The NFL player also expressed uncertainty about returning next season, admitting that the past few months have been incredibly challenging as he copes with the loss of his daughter.

"It's been hard for me personally to go to work every day, every game — even to practice or go to meetings," he said. "I almost left a couple of times. Sh-t, I know fans probably hate me [for saying that], but f-ck it, it's real life."

The tragedy struck in late October when Ward's daughter, Amani Joy, passed away just shy of her second birthday. Born prematurely in November 2022 and diagnosed with Down syndrome, Amani endured significant health challenges, including undergoing open-heart surgery in April 2023.

"It's made my heart bigger," Ward said when speaking to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. "I was never mean to my mom as a kid. But I'm nicer to my mom. I'm nicer to all the women around me. I try to treat people a little bit better. Because, obviously, she has Down syndrome. And she's probably going to have a little mistreatment going through life with a disability."

He continued, "People might try to bully her a little bit. So I just want to treat people well and, hopefully, people will treat her good."

In October, just days after Amani's passing, Ward shared a heart-wrenching tribute on Instagram. The post included a photo of him cradling his daughter on a couch, with the song "Death Ain't Easy" by Lil Durk playing in the background. "My soul is bleeding. I need you Amani. You did not deserve this," he wrote, accompanied by four broken heart emojis.

The raw vulnerability Ward has shown underscores the depth of his grief and the difficult choices he faces moving forward. Whether or not he remains with the San Francisco 49ers is a decision still clouded by pain and uncertainty. For now, Ward continues to navigate his healing journey one day at a time, carrying the memory of Amani Joy with him every step of the way.

For the record, the 49ers were officially eliminated from the playoff picture ahead of their Week 16 game against the Dolphins, so Ward's 2024-2025 season has come to an end.