Giants cut linebacker Jihad Ward after two games back in New York
The Giants released linebacker Jihad Ward on Tuesday after two games in his third stint with the team, less than a month after signing him to replace the injured Brian Burns.
Why Jihad Ward is trending
The Giants released linebacker Jihad Ward on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, ending his second stint with the team after just two games. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo first reported the move. New York had signed the 32-year-old off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad in late September to cover for Brian Burns, who is out for the season with a torn ACL.
What's known is the stat line. Ward played in the Week 5 tie with the Commanders and Sunday's home loss to the Saints, and he did not do much in either game. What the Giants have not said is whether the release is purely about those two performances or about clearing a roster spot. Big Blue View reported the move could be setting up outside linebacker Trace Ford for a promotion to the 53-man roster.
For now, Ward is off the Giants' roster and back on the market in search of his eighth team in 11 NFL seasons. New York has not announced a replacement signing beyond the Ford speculation.
A short second stint
Ward played 23 defensive snaps and four special teams snaps against Washington in Week 5, recording one tackle. He did not record a tackle in 18 defensive snaps against New Orleans on Sunday. Across both games combined, Big Blue View put his total at 41 defensive snaps and one tackle. He was on the Giants' active roster for three games but only played in two of them.
A well traveled career
Ward is a Philadelphia native who played junior college football at the now defunct Globe Institute of Technology before transferring to Illinois. The Raiders took him in the second round, the 44th overall pick, in the 2016 draft. Tuesday's release makes him a free agent again after 11 NFL seasons with seven different teams.
This was Ward's third run with the Giants. He first signed in 2022 and finished with 43 tackles and three sacks over 17 games with 11 starts, then played in both of New York's playoff games that season, a win over the Vikings and a Divisional Round loss to the Eagles. The Giants brought him back in 2023, when he had 24 tackles and five sacks. He played for the Vikings in 2024 and the Titans last season, where he matched his career high with 5.0 sacks.
What comes next
Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson held the same job in Tennessee last season, part of why New York turned to Ward again when Burns went down. With Ward gone, the next name to watch is Trace Ford. The 25-year-old has played in the Giants' last three games on practice squad elevations, picking up eight tackles in 49 defensive snaps and 78 special teams snaps. Big Blue View reported his promotion to the 53-man roster could follow.
Facts per New York Post, Big Blue View. Opinion is the taproom's.