New Colts signing Charvarius Ward opened up last week about the heartbreaking death of his baby daughter, saying the tragic loss ultimately drove him to leave the 49ers.

Ward and his girlfriend, Monique Cook announced the death of their one-year-old daughter Amani Joy on October 29. 

She had been born prematurely in November of 2022 with Down syndrome and faced numerous health issues, as she went through open-heart surgery in April of 2023.

The cornerback previously spoke about the trauma he endured being in California following Amani’s death, and told reporters at his first Colts press conference that he ‘had to get out of San Francisco.’

‘Honestly man, it was a lot of PTSD out there, really was just painful to be out there,’ he said. 

‘Mentally, every day was draining. It took a lot in me to go back to San Francisco. The only reason I went back… I thought we was gonna turn it around… and I [wanted] to go be there for my brothers.’

Charvarius Ward spoke with reporters last week for the first time as a member of the Colts

Amani was born prematurely with Down syndrome and had suffered several health issues 

Ward and Cook’s daughter, Amani Joy, sadly pᴀssed away just before she turned two  

Ward took three weeks away from the team after her death before playing in five of the last six games of the season, leaving only in late December to return to Dallas for the birth of his son, Charvarius Jr.

Meanwhile, Monique stayed away from Santa Clara after Amani’s death, meaning Ward lived by himself.

‘Mentally, I was in Texas with my family,’ he added. ‘Physically, I was in Santa Clara with the 49ers. You gotta be where your feet are and I wasn’t where my feet was last season.’

Monique’s pregnancy with Charvarius Jr. also complicated, as the couple nearly lost the child prior to Amani’s death in October, which Ward revealed to ESPN in January.

Ward, who signed a three-year, $54million deal with the Colts according to Spotrac, said he had regained his ‘hunger’ for the game and was eager to re-establish himself as one of the league’s best secondary players.

Ward was named a Pro Bowler in 2023 as part of a stout 49ers defense which helped the team reach the Super Bowl.

He also won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs during the 2019 season, serving as a starter for Kansas City in his second season after going undrafted.

Ward was not picked out of Middle Tennessee State in 2018 but has gone on to become a productive cornerback in the NFL.

Over the last seven seasons, he’s recorded 10 interceptions across 88 starts and 101 appearances.