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Vikings Add to Pass Rush
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- Vikings Add to Pass Rush
Vikings Add to Pass Rush
The Vikings added to the pass rush with a signing announced earlier today.
As the prophecy foretold , Minnesota has circled back around to Jihad Ward. He was on the 53-man roster for all of 2024 before being allowed to leave in 2025. He's now calling the Twin Cities home yet again, as the team announced : "The #Vikings have signed OLB Jihad Ward to the practice squad and released T Tristan Leigh from the practice squad."
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Vikings Add to Pass Rush with PS Signing
So much of the appeal of Mr. Ward is what's between the ears (his brain) and what's underneath his shoulder pads (his body).
At 6'5″ and 285 pounds, Ward is a massive edge rusher. Or, perhaps, he could get described as a small defensive tackle. See the appeal? His frame allows him to get moved around the line with some regularity due to being lean enough to come off the edge but brawny enough to wrestle with a guard. Not everyone can do this.
Better yet, Ward has proven capable of corralling a sophisticated Vikings defense, as he proved in 2024. Again, not everyone is capable of understanding the different assignments before then doing the different jobs at a high level. Vikings DC Brian Flores has evidently seen enough upside to want Ward to return, even if that's only on Minnesota's practice squad.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.
During the 2025 season, Jihad Ward played for the Tennessee Titans. He did so while throwing 31 tackles and 5 sacks onto the stat sheet. Note that he had an eye-popping 22 quarterback hits in that '25 season, a great number that suggests Ward still has some game inside of him.
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As a point of reference, the 2025 version of Dallas Turner had 8 sacks alongside 15 quarterback hits. Ward's 22 quarterback hits are an impressive number.
To a certain extent, the basic counting stats are the byproduct of playing in Tennessee, a team that's majorly lacking in talent. Last year, Ward played in seventeen games while starting a dozen. He was out there for 708 snaps, the most he's ever had in his career. Plus, playing alongside Jeffery Simmons — a terrific, elite DT — means being overlooked.
But then there's another reality: Ward did still earn those stats. Tennessee wasn't winning many games in 2025, trailing more often than not. It's not as if he was playing for that historic Patriots team that was constantly leading and therefore constantly putting the opposition into a need to pass to keep up.
Ward got to 5 sacks and 22 quarterback hits on a team that likely had the clock ground into dust by keeping the ball on the ground. The former Titan tied with Danielle Hunter (stud) and Leonard Williams (stud) for nineteenth in the NFL for QB hits.
Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) celebrates his sack with linebacker Jihad Ward (52) against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
In Week 7, the Vikings will be hosting the flailing Colts . Doing so means firing up the pass rushing engines yet again. Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Kyle Van Noy will be leading the charge. Does it make sense to bump up Jihad Ward?
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Kickoff is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, October 25th. Pulling off the win means getting to a sizzling 6-0.
Also Read on Vikings Territory: 4 Key Vikings Players vs. Colts
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