Jonathan Ward took part in the Steelers’ rookie minicamp, and his performance there has produced an agreement. The veteran running back is signing with Pittsburgh, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The deal is now official.
Ward started his career with the Cardinals in 2020, and across the next three years he bounced on and off the team’s practice squad. The former UDFA saw just nine carries in Arizona during his time with the team before being waived. Following a brief stint on the Jets’ taxi squad, he joined the Titans.
The 26-year-old again saw sparse usage on offense upon heading to Nashville. In 10 Titans contests, Ward logged only 20 offensive snaps. He did, however, remain a mainstay on special teams. The Central Michigan alum has more than 550 third phase snaps to his name, and continuing in that capacity will no doubt represent his path to a roster spot in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in place atop the running back depth chart. The team’s decision not to exercise the former’s fifth-year option has made him a pending free agent and invited questions about his future with the team. The latter is on course for restricted free agency after the 2024 campaign, so his production relative to that of Harris will be a key storyline for the team.
Ward joins fellow former UDFAs Aaron Shampklin (2022) and Daijun Edwards (2024) as running backs aiming to carve out a spot on the end of the roster. The Steelers ranked sixth in special teams DVOA last year, so a strong showing this summer will be needed for any of them to survive roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason.