Charvarius Ward might be the most underappreciated player on the 49ers.

He's never mentioned as one of the 49ers' best players, and yet last season he established himself as a shutdown cornerback, particularly the second half of the season when he shadowed opposing no. 1 wide receivers around the field and covered them 1 on 1, man to man. Not many corners in the NFL can do that as was as Ward can.

Now he's entering the final season of his contract with the 49ers. And if he replicates his performance from 2023 in 2024, he'll be in line for a huge payday next year. And the 49ers might not be able to give it to him.

I'm sure they'd love to keep Ward, but they also have to extend Brandon Aiyuk's contract and Brock Purdy's contract, and those deals will be outrageously expensive. So those deals will take priority.

As good as Ward is, he's 28 and he's coming off core muscle surgery, which means his body began to break down last season. Of course, he played through the injuries, but eventually he won't be able to do that. It's risky to invest big money in a cornerback who's almost 30.

That's why I think the 49ers might choose to extend cornerback Deommodore Lenoir's contract instead. Lenoir isn't as good as Ward, but Lenoir is younger and will be much cheaper, which means he should fit in the 49ers' budget.

It's entirely possible Ward will play himself out of town this season.