Niners CB Charvarius Ward on facing old team in Super Bowl LVIII: 'It's gonna be fun'

LAS VEGAS -- San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward has already traveled a rather winding path in his NFL career.

The first few turns appeared when he went undrafted, began his career in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys, then found himself packing his bags once again when they traded him to Kansas City back in 2018. It turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened to a cornerback who wasn't even invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.

Over time, Ward rose up the depth chart into a key role in Kansas City's defense, one so prominent that he ended up being too expensive to keep. But before Ward left following the 2021 season, he earned a Super Bowl ring as part of the 2019 Chiefs team that won Super Bowl LIV.

Now, he's back in the big game. But instead of dressing in red, yellow and white, he'll be donning a gold helmet and lining up opposite the Chiefs on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII, becoming one of the first two players to appear on both sides of a SB rematch (the other being current Chiefs receiver Richie James).

Awkward, right? Not so much, according to Ward, who relishes the opportunity.

"Nah, it's not weird. It's gonna be fun," Ward said Monday at Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium, which will host Sunday's game. "They've been one of the best teams in the league in the past five, six years, since Pat Mahomes been there. So it's a good opportunity to go out there and try to knock off the top dog in the league. They're the defending champs, so we've got to try to take their throne."

After spending four years facing him in practice, Ward knows all about Mahomes, the two-time MVP who has once again led his Chiefs to the sport's greatest stage. Logically, that should give the