SANTA CLARA -- Quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in his first season as Kansas City’s starter in 2018 when rookie cornerback Charvarius Ward arrived as a rookie after a late-August trade.
In their four seasons as teammates, Mahomes earned Pro Bowl recognition all four years, in addition to being NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
Now, Ward is taking part in his first training camp with the 49ers just as Trey Lance takes over at quarterback for Jimmy Garoppolo.
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You can see where this line of questioning is going.
“What Pat Mahomes does is incredible,” Ward said on 49ers Talk. “It’s probably unfair to Trey to compare him to Pat right now because Pat has been to two Super Bowls. He’s started four seasons already, and this is Trey’s first season being QB1.”
Ward was the 49ers’ big-ticket offseason acquisition as an unrestricted free agent after four seasons in Kansas City. He has been one of the standouts at training camp, and he said he believes Lance is on the right trajectory.
“I feel like he’s about to show everybody what he’s capable of doing,” Ward said. “He’s got to work. He’s got to grow. All of us have to do that.
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“I feel like Trey is going to be a great quarterback in the NFL. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s confident in himself just like I’m confident in myself. And we all believe in him. We all trust in Trey.”
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Ward signed a three year, $40.5 million contract with the 49ers at the outset of free agency. He said he really never considered the team’s quarterback situation when deciding on the 49ers because he felt all the other pieces were in place on both sides of the ball.
“I know what this team was built off of,” Ward said. “Kyle Shanahan likes to run the ball a lot. So I feel like that’ll help Trey a lot.
“I knew the defense was one of the best in the NFL, so even if the offense struggles some days, we can pick up their slack. If we struggle some days, they can pick up our slack. That’s what a team does. We help each other out. Brother for brother.”