Ward was ruled out on Friday and he remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol after suffering his second concussion in 4 weeks during last week’s 26-18 win over the Bengals interim head coach Gregg Williams announced.
In the 12-9 overtime victory over the Ravens on Oct. 7, Ward blocked a field goal and had an interception.
Ward will finish the season with 53 tackles – 41 solo, 11 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
“He has had a really good year, and I am sure that there will be a lot of thing that when he steps into the arena next year that he has a good feel for,” Williams said. “That first year is night and day differently from the college game, but we will take care of that come back in the offseason program get started and all of those things. He has to get on and ready to roll, and he will have a game here maybe a few weeks from now. We will see how he goes and see if he is able to play a few weeks from now. We will see.”
Cornerback T.J. Carrie is expected to start in Ward’s place.
“I think you would have a hard time taking a look in the last six or seven weeks of seeing a corner that has played much better than him in the entire league,” Williams said of Carrie. “I really, really, really feel like he has played very strongly this last half of the season.”
Carrie has started 6 of the 15 games he’s played in this season. He’s broken up 8 passes, intercepted a pass, forced 2 fumbles and recovered a fumble.
“I came in this position as a starter, and I hold myself to a high standard,” Carrie said. “That does not seem indifferent to me that he thinks or feels that way. I feel like that going into every game being able to be one of the best corners in this league, and that is how you have to look at yourself in every situation going into every game. I think that is the confidence that you need to play at this level.”
Taylor suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the Week 3 victory over the Jets that opened the door for Mayfield to take over.
“You want to talk about class? His picture is in the dictionary next to it, and he has been outstanding,” Williams said. “What lots of people don’t see him do is the constant leading in every aspect when he comes into the building.
“A classy individual, and I have known him for a long, long time. Like I said, he and my son played together at Virginia Tech so I have known him for a long, long time. A good young man.”
Mayfield completed 27 of 37 passes for 284 yards with 3 touchdowns in a 26-18 win over Cincinnati last Sunday.
Ward and running back Nick Chubb were voted the honor by fans twice each.
Mayfield wore Rashard Higgins’ 81, Jarvis Landry wore Drew Stanton’s, Tyrod Taylor wore Antonio Callaway’s and Callaway Taylor’s among a multitude of the swaps.
Vallejo appeared in 13 games with one start and he finished the season with 20 tackles and a forced fumble on defense and 7 special teams tackles.