The New York Giants have released veteran linebacker Jihad Ward, bringing an abrupt end to his brief second stint with the franchise.
Ward was let go after appearing in just two games for Big Blue. The 32-year-old defender had been signed off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad in late September to bolster the linebacker corps following Brian Burns’ season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear.
During his return to the Giants, Ward played in consecutive contests: the Week 5 tie against the Washington Commanders and Sunday’s home loss to the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In the matchup against Washington, he logged 23 defensive snaps and four special teams snaps, recording a single tackle. He saw action on 18 defensive snaps against the Saints but did not register any statistics.
Selected in the second round with the No. 44 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ward has journeyman experience spanning 11 seasons across seven different NFL franchises. Before reaching the professional ranks, he played junior college football for the defunct Globe Institute of Technology in the Garment District before transferring to the University of Illinois.
His initial tenure with the Giants began in 2022, proving to be his most productive stretch with the club. That season, the Philadelphia native appeared in all 17 regular-season games with 11 starts, totaling 43 tackles and three sacks. He also saw action in both of the Giants’ postseason matchups that year, helping defeat the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round before falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round.
Ward returned to the Giants for the 2023 campaign, contributing 24 tackles and five sacks across the season. Following his departure from New York, he spent time with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 season and played for the Tennessee Titans last year before re-joining the Giants’ practice squad earlier this autumn.
