49ers, Charvarius Ward strike 3-year deal worth up to $42M

The San Francisco 49ers addressed their need at cornerback Monday, agreeing to a three-year deal worth up to $42 million with former Kansas City Chiefs corner Charvarius Ward, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal includes $26.7 million guaranteed.

Ward was one of the top outside corners available this offseason, though he's still unproven as a full-time No. 1 cornerback.

The 25-year-old, who went undrafted in 2018, has stood out in man coverage over the last four seasons. He notched 10 pass breakups and two interceptions while allowing a 79.4 passer rating and a 51.3% completion rate when targeted through 13 appearances last year.

Ward is now expected to start for the 49ers alongside Emmanuel Moseley. Opposing quarterbacks completed 68.3% of their pass attempts against San Francisco last season, fourth highest in the league.

San Francisco also entered Monday as one of the front-runners to land star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic.