Giants Signing OLB Jihad Ward Off Vikings’ PS

Ward played with the Giants in 2022 and 2023 and offers a replacement after OLB Brian Burns suffered a season-ending injury.

Ward, 32, is a former second-round pick of the Raiders back in 2016. He was in the third year of his four-year, $5.539 million contract when the Raiders traded him to the Cowboys for WR Ryan Switzer.

Dallas waived Ward coming out of the 2018 preseason, and he later signed with the Colts. After being released by Indianapolis, Ward signed on with the Ravens and returned to Baltimore in 2020 on a new deal.

Ward signed with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, then landed with the Giants on a one-year deal in 2022. New York brought him back on a one-year contract in 2023, and he signed a one-year deal with Minnesota for the 2024 season. 

For the 2025 season, Ward caught on with the Titans and spent the entire season on their active roster. He then signed with the Vikings’ practice squad just before the start of the regular season in 2026.

In 2025, Ward appeared in all 17 games for the Titans and recorded 31 tackles, five sacks, and four pass deflections in 12 starts.