While the Indianapolis Colts are looking like Super Bowl contenders and are in the top nine in both points scored and points allowed, their passing defense could use some help. Fortunately for them, help is on its way.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been out of action since suffering a concussion in Week 6, is slated to return this Sunday. The timing is good, as the Colts will have a proverbial statement game versus the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ward had previously sustained a concussion in Week 1 that caused him to miss a game, but the second one he had was much more severe. Per The Athletic, he admitted that his symptoms were very serious and long-lasting.
“I was throwing up, getting dizzy. I was getting dizzy for like a month,” Ward said. “That wasn’t normal, so that was like a real-deal traumatic injury for me. A lot of emotions and everything like that, so it was pretty tough, but I’m feeling good now.”
Those symptoms were so debilitating that he actually considered retiring from the NFL.
“I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was that scary,” Ward said. “Because I was thinking about my life outside of football, too.”
Read more: 49ers Linked to Intriguing Quarterback Move During NFL Offseason
This isn’t the first time Ward has dealt with a bolt from the blue that threatened to change the trajectory of his career and his life. Last season, as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, his daughter, Amani Joy, died just days before her second birthday. She had been diagnosed with Down syndrome and had dealt with heart problems.
Ward left the 49ers in free agency during the offseason, and he admitted in January that his daughter’s death gave him post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and caused him “a lot of trauma” anytime he returned to California.
Now that he’s on the verge of returning, there is reason to hope that Indianapolis’ faulty secondary will improve down the stretch of this season. Just before the trade deadline earlier this month, the team acquired cornerback Sauce Gardner, a two-time Pro Bowler and the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Gardner and Ward could form a killer duo in the secondary for the 8-2 Colts.
Read more: Vikings’ JJ McCarthy’s Latest Comments Will Excite Minnesota Fans
Ultimately, how far the Colts go in January — or perhaps February — may fall on quarterback Daniel Jones, who seems born again this season. Jones had been dismissed as a bust during his five seasons and change with the New York Giants, but he has played solid football this season, and if he raises his game this winter, it could be a triumphant winter for his team.
For more on the Colts and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.