The Minnesota Vikings added a familiar name to their practice squad on Wednesday, signing veteran edge rusher Jihad Ward as they continue to stock the defensive front ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers, via the NFL transaction log.
Ward, 32, spent the 2024 season in Minnesota, appearing in all 17 games with two starts. He finished that year with 1.0 sack, 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, a pass defensed, and 14 quarterback hits.
Last season, he started 12 games for the Tennessee Titans and matched a career high with 5.0 sacks, adding 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, four passes defensed, and a career-best 22 quarterback hits.
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Philadelphia native now owns 24 sacks in 136 NFL games, along with 199 tackles, three forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries.
A 2016 second-round pick (No. 44 overall) by the Oakland Raiders out of Illinois, Ward has also played for the Colts, Ravens, Jaguars, and Giants. He started 13 games as a rookie and has logged 49 career starts.
For the Vikings, the signing is less about immediate stardom than scheme familiarity and depth. Ward already knows defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ system and can work inside or outside, a useful trait in Minnesota’s multiple-front packages.
He joins fellow veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy on the practice squad, part of a recent wave of experienced defenders that also includes the return of safety Harrison Smith for a 15th season.
Edge depth has been a talking point in Eagan. Ward is not expected to walk into a large role on Sunday, but practice-squad eligibility means he can be elevated quickly if injuries or matchups demand another veteran body.
His 2024 tape showed more disruption than the modest box-score totals suggested, especially when Minnesota deployed extra rushers. That same presence could help younger edges develop while giving Flores a reliable emergency option.
Ward’s path has been typical of a long-career rotational rusher: productive enough to keep landing work, versatile enough to fit several schemes, and durable enough to play 17 games in four of the last five seasons.
At this stage of his career, a practice-squad deal with a team he already knows is a pragmatic landing spot. Minnesota gets a player who can contribute on special teams and in sub packages without needing a long onboarding process.
Whether Ward is elevated this week or later, the move underscores the Vikings’ preference for veterans who already speak the defensive language.
For a unit that will be asked to generate pressure without relying solely on its top names, 24 career sacks and a prior year in Purple are not a bad insurance policy.
