**EAGAN, Minn. —** Versatile veteran Jihad Ward has returned to the Vikings locker room for the second time in as many months.
Ward on Friday signed with Minnesota's practice squad roughly three weeks after the New York Giants had signed him to their 53-man squad.
He appeared in two games with the Giants (Weeks 5 and 6), recording one tackle on 41 defensive snaps and lining up for four snaps on special teams.
Ward has 138 games of NFL experience and 49 starts. "Haddy" played all 17 contests for Minnesota in 2024, helping the team go 14-3 by walloping quarterbacks 14 times, a career-best total that he topped with 22 for Tennessee in 2025.
The 32-year-old native of Philadelphia has totaled 200 tackles, 95 QB hits, 24 sacks, 12 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
To make room for Ward, the Vikings released rookie tackle Tristan Leigh from the practice squad.