Former Vikings Pass Rusher Picks the Titans
The Minnesota Vikings’ list of unsigned players from the 2024 roster shrank to seven on Wednesday.
An ex-Vikings edge rusher, Jihad Ward, has signed with the Tennessee Titans after four months of drought in free agency. Here’s who made the move and what it could mean for Tennessee entering 2025.
A pass rusher from last year, veteran Jihad Ward, chose the Tennessee Titans this week from summer free agency, becoming a member of Brian Callahan’s team just as training camp kicked off.
These are the details, including Ward’s role in Tennessee.
Tennessee Was in the Market for a Veteran OLB
Ward got the call and will now fight for a roster spot.
It’s the Titans for Jihad Ward
It’s a done deal for Ward in the AFC South.
NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams posted, “The Titans are signing linebacker Jihad Ward, Jordan Schultz reports. He played all 17 games for the Vikings last season, starting two, and seeing action on 467 defensive snaps and 78 on special teams. Ward totaled 10 tackles, 14 quarterback hits and a sack.”
“The Titans will be his seventh team since the Raiders drafted him in the second round in 2016. Ward, 31, has 168 tackles, 19 sacks, 73 quarterback hits, eight passes defensed and three forced fumbles in his career.”
The journeyman veteran has a new NFL home.
Role with Titans
Ward will compete for a 53-man roster spot in Tennessee. Nothing is guaranteed for a non-starter who signs with a team in late July.
Yet, with Ward’s experience, there’s a decent chance that he latches onto the September roster, perhaps owning the edge — pun intended — over an unproven player like Titus Leo, for example, who entered the Titans’ roster orbit via undrafted free agency in April.
Ward posted a 51.5 Pro Football Focus grade with Minnesota in 2024. His 39.7 run-stopping grade was particularly concerning and probably why Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t re-sign him.
Vikings’ Replacement for Ward
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Adofo-Mensah has Dallas Turner in line to take over Ward’s snaps, in addition to those taken by Patrick Jones II, who landed with the Carolina Panthers in March.
Turner will mostly inherit Ward’s workload, with a side dish of defensive snaps heading the way of a player like Bo Richter, Gabriel Murphy, or Tyler Batty.
Of course, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, two Pro Bowlers, will headline the EDGE room.
Titans’ EDGE Group
Here’s where Ward will presumably fit in with Tennessee’s outside linebacking corps:
- Arden Key
- Dre’Mont Jones
- Oluwafemi Oladejo
- Jaylen Harrell
- Jihad Ward
- Ali Gaye
- Titus Leo
- Desmond Evans
The group isn’t necessarily to die for, but Tennessee fans will hope that Jones and Key take care of the heavy lifting most of the time, with OIadejo, Harrell, and Ward coming in handy for relief.
Titans-Themed Media on Adding Ward
Music City Miracle‘s Justin Melo envisions a run-stopping role for Ward, believe it or not.
He wrote Wednesday, “The Tennessee Titans were left shorthanded at EDGE earlier this week by Lorenzo Carter’s abrupt retirement. General manager Mike Borgonzi moved rather quickly to replace him. Just one day after the Titans’ first training camp practice of the new season, they are signing veteran free-agent defensive end Jihad Ward, according to a report by Jordan Schultz.”
“Ward is a veteran rotational defender. He appeared in all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season, notching 10 tackles and one sack. He was more impressive with the New York Giants in 2023, totaling five quarterback takedowns.”
The Titans’ defense ranked 25th in the NFL last year per EPA/Play.
Melo continued, “Ward did play a sizable 467 snaps for the Vikings last year, accounting for 41.11% percent of their total defensive snaps. The Titans made a conscious effort to get bigger and stouter outside this offseason. Ward fits that profile, listed at approximately 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds. Perhaps he’ll play an early-down run stopping role.”
“To make room for Ward on the 90-man roster, the Titans surprisingly released nose tackle Keondre Coburn, per Paul Kuharsky.”
Tennessee also employs former Vikings players James Lynch (DL), Oli Udoh (OL), and Xavier Woods (S).
Ward turned 31 in May.
You must be logged in to post a comment.