On Monday, head coach Shane Steichen said Charvarius Ward Sr. had been placed in concussion protocol after reporting symptoms that day.
This marks the third time Ward has been placed in protocol this season. He just recently returned from injured reserve in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs; Ward sustained his second concussion of the season in a freak collision during pregame warmups in Week 6.
The "traumatic" concussion left him feeling dizzy and nauseous for a month – and questioning whether or not he should return to football. With this being the third time Ward has entered the protocol in 15 weeks, the focus has now shifted from who Ward is as a football player to who Ward is as a person.
"I was kind of doubting if I was gonna play football again because it was like that scary," Ward said prior to his return in Week 12. "It was that scary, you know what I mean, because I was thinking about my life outside of football too."
"I think that's what's most important, and what's most paramount right now, is how he is as human," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said Tuesday. "Forget about the football player part of it. I just really want him to be okay, and that's what's most important, dealing with all that right now.
"It's just unfortunate. I just want what's best for him and his family."
The Colts' game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday was the first time Ward looked like himself since sustaining his second concussion; he primarily covered wide receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers, allowing two receptions on six targets and recording a season-high three pass breakups.
It was the kind of game defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had been waiting for from his No. 1 cornerback.
"No, definitely haven't been playing up to my standard yet," Ward said before Sunday's game. "I'm just trying to get back into the groove of things. Just continue to work my technique every day. Work on what I feel like I need to work on and just attack every day man, with a get-better mindset. That's what I've done my whole life, my whole career. Sometimes, when things (are) not going great for me, that's when I rise to the occasion, and be my best. So hopefully, I can come out there this next week in practice, this next game, and be the Mooney that I know, that I've become over the years."
"I thought Mooney did a heck of a job on Sunday," Anarumo said Tuesday. "You had the one-handed catch that was a great catch, that's going to happen in this league. But everything else was thrown his way was contested and knocked the ball down. You saw the Mooney that we know, so I thought the arrow was up for sure. But like I mentioned earlier, I think our main focus right now is just to make sure he's okay as a human being, not as a football player."
With Ward in concussion protocol and Sauce Gardner still working to come back from a calf injury sustained in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, the Colts may be without their two starting outside cornerbacks this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks. And after Chris Lammons was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with a foot injury, the healthy members of the Colts cornerback room are Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards and Cameron Mitchell.
