As they continue to prepare for their regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers this weekend, the Minnesota Vikings announced on Wednesday that they have signed veteran defender Jihad Ward to the team's practice squad.
This isn't Ward's first stint with the Vikings, as he was a member of the roster back in the 2024 season. That year, he appeared in all 17 games for Minnesota and finished with 18 pressures, 10 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection.
Last season, Ward suited up for the Tennessee Titans and racked up 31 tackles, 27 pressures, five sacks, and four pass deflections in 17 appearances (including 12 starts).
With the Vikings' addition on Wednesday, the team's practice squad now consists of 16 players heading into Week 1 against the Packers.
Below is the list of every player who is currently on Minnesota's 2026 practice squad, including Ward.
Name | Position |
|---|---|
Da'Veawn Armstead | CB |
Dillon Bell | WR |
Michael Briscoe | WR |
Max Brosmer | QB |
Henry Byrd | OG |
DeeJay Dallas | RB |
Cam Grandy | TE |
Naquan Jones | DL |
Bangally Kamara | LB |
Jack Nelson | OL |
Bryce Phillips | CB |
Jahvaree Ritzie | DL |
Trayvon Rudolph | WR |
Tavierre Thomas | S |
Kyle Van Noy | OLB |
Jihad Ward | OLB |
Practice squad rules for Minnesota Vikings fans to know for the 2026 NFL season
Back in the day, Minnesota's and every other NFL team's practice squad used to just consist of a bunch of first and second-year players. Now, every team can have up to six players on its practice squad who have spent more than two seasons in the league.
After Wednesday's signing, the Vikings currently have five players on their practice who have played in the NFL for more than two seasons with Ward, edge rusher Kyle Van Noy, safety Tavierre Thomas, defensive lineman Naquan Jones, and running back DeeJay Dallas filling those slots.
When they take on Green Bay on Sunday, Minnesota can elevate two current members of its practice squad to the active roster without having to sign those players to the 53-man roster. Two practice squad elevations per game are allowed for each team in the NFL.
The Vikings can elevate a practice squad player up to three times to the active roster each season, and then after that, Minnesota will need to add that player to the 53-man roster if they want them to appear in any additional games.
For this weekend's matchup against the Packers, it seems like there's probably a good chance that the Vikings will utilize the two-practice-squad player elevation rule, especially with guys like Ward, Van Noy, and Thomas having the ability to make an impact immediately.
When Van Noy was signed by Minnesota last week, it was initially reported by The Ringer's Tom Pelissero that he was being added to the practice squad to help him ramp up before playing in a game.
So, if we had to make an educated guess, Van Noy will probably be one of the two players from the Vikings' practice squad who will be elevated to the active roster on Sunday.
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