Former Chief turned 49er massively shades Kansas City with just two words

The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers will battle it out in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 PM E.T. It is a highly anticipated rematch of SB LIV in 2020, when Patrick Mahomes claimed his first championship ring with Kansas City's 31-20 victory.

It was also Charvarius Ward's first Super Bowl victory as a second-year cornerback. Few players get to experience both sides of a rivalry so fully, but Ward will be back on the Super Bowl stage Sunday — this time in his second campaign with the Niners. It's a chance for Ward to exact revenge of sorts, or at the very least to leave his own indelible mark on this budding conflict between megawatt contenders.

When asked by reporters what it's like being with the Niners instead of the Chiefs, Ward kept his answer simple.

"It's better."

Charvarius Ward shades Chiefs with simple comment at 49ers Super Bowl media day

This is bulletin-board material for the Chiefs, of course, but it's also not that deep. Of course Ward is going to say San Francisco is better — he can't exactly get away with the opposite sentiment, can he? There's a more political answer about how he appreciates both franchises, but let's be real. It's much more fun to stoke the flames and embrace the competition. Ward can't afford to get sentimental. He needs to seek and destroy.

It's hard to disagree logically with Ward's argument. He has elevated to another level with San Francisco. The 2023 season marked Ward's first Pro Bowl berth. He led the NFL in passes defended (23), notched a career-high five interceptions, and managed 56 tackles. He is one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL, and he's certainly up to the task against Kansas City's lackluster receiving corps.

The Niners are also the better team on paper. San Francisco went 12-5, the Chiefs went 11-6. The Niners' offense ranked second in total yards per game last season. Kansas City landed ninth. The Chiefs' defense was actually better, but San Francisco has an endless parade of talent on that side of the football.

Of course, the game is not played on paper. Especially not with the Chiefs, who have already won as underdogs twice en route to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years. The Niners are starting Brock Purdy at QB. The Chiefs will start Patrick Mahomes at QB. That alone could mean the difference between San Francisco exacting revenge for their 2020 defeat and the Chiefs burying the Niners even deeper.

We will see if Ward can walk the walk on Sunday, but for now, let's enjoy the pre-game fireworks that are sure to fly between two very talented, very competitive teams.