The Minnesota Vikings have officially lost Jihad Ward.
“The Giants are signing Jihad Ward off the Vikings practice squad, per source,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported on X on September 30.
Ward, 32, is a former second-round pick, taken 44th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2014. This is his second stint with the Giants.
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Ward has also had stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans in his career. He has earned $14.7 million on NFL contracts so far.
Vikings Lose Jihad Ward to Giants
Ward tallied 10 total tackles, 1.0 sack, and 1 fumble recovery with the Vikings in 2024, starting two of the 17 regular-season contests he appeared in, as well as their Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
For his career, Ward has 199 tackles, 24.0 sacks, 3 FFs, and 5 recs.
He has started 49 of 136 regular-season tilts and another pair of games in six postseason outings across four trips.
A lot of focus has been put on Ward’s previous comments about Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, whose own old remarks have resurfaced amid the similarities in content and underlying messaging.
Ward leaves one aggressive coordinator in Vikings DC Brian Flores for another.
The opportunity provides more security for Ward, at least financially. He is on the 53-man roster rather than the practice squad.
The Giants must also pay him for at least three weeks of service. That is even if they decide to part ways with him before that time has passed. That is the only way that teams can sign players from another’s practice squad roster.
Also notable is that players do not have to accept such offers.
That means that Ward and his camp weighed their options and decided moving on from the 3-0 Vikings’ practice squad for the 2-1 Giants’ 53-man group was a better fit for him.
6-Foot-5, 285-Pound Hybrid Leaves Minnesota Vikings for NFC Rival