On Tuesday, May 21, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran Jonathan Ward to give their running back corps more depth.
The 26-year-old tried out for the Steelers during rookie minicamp on May 10–11 and signed a one-year contract with the team. The former Tennessee Titan and Arizona Cardinal is starting his fifth NFL season.
In 2020, Ward was signed by the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent after graduating from Central Michigan. He has contributed to special teams and been a member of the practice squads for the most of his career.
He made the biggest offensive contributions when playing for the Cardinals in 2021. 33 yards on 9 carries for him. The product of Kankakee, Illinois, made seven appearances in the previous season for the Titans. He also gained 11 yards on three rushes.
Jonathan Ward Impressed at Rookie Mini Camp
After a stellar rookie minicamp, Ward was signed by the Steelers. In particular, Ward seemed to impress Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, according to Nick Farabaugh of Steelers.
In this video from All Steelers Talk, Ward is seen taking part in extra exercises during rookie minicamp. “You have less time in the league the older you are,” Ward said to All Steelers. In the meantime, football is all that matters.
It’s a blessing to come out and impart the wisdom I’ve gained through the years to the younger men, and it benefits me too because you get a little bit of both a coach and a player in one package.
Ward Rounds Out Steelers Deep Running Back Room
Similar to his tenures in Arizona and Tennessee, Ward’s primary contribution in Pittsburgh is probably going to be on special teams. He joins a Steelers club that already features Jaylen Warren, Najee Harris, and newcomer Cordarrelle Patterson as running backs.
In 2023, Harris and Warren once again shown their effectiveness as a duo, combining for 1,819 yards and 12 touchdowns on 404 carries.
They were both used by the Steelers in the quick passing game as well. Together, they caught 90 passes for 540 yards. According to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Patterson and the Steelers reached an agreement on March 26 to sign a two-year, $6 million contract.
When the NFL modified its kickoff regulations, the Steelers took the necessary action very immediately.
With the intention of increasing safety and generating more spectacular returns, the new regulations incorporate certain aspects of the XFL’s kickoff rules.
Patterson holds the NFL record with nine kickoffs returned for touchdowns. While he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he was also productive under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith of the Steelers.
Patterson ran for a total of 1,494 yards and 14 touchdowns on 347 carries in his three seasons with the Falcons. With 50 carries for 181 yards in the 2023 season, he did experience a decline.
The choice to sign Patterson and the new regulations were covered by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin at his pre-draft news conference on April 22.
Tomlin stated on the team’s YouTube channel, “I think we’re all speculating regarding the impact of the new rule.” “We could respond to you, but it’s conjecture.
Naturally, we’re taking various actions in relation to that and how it affects the game. For example, we signed Patterson right away because of this, but I believe that everyone is still assessing how that play affected the game and making decisions about late-round selections, roster construction, and who gets a hat. I believe that in a year, we’ll all comprehend it better.
For Heavy.com, Shelby Cassesse covers the Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 2017, Shelby, an Emmy-nominated reporter and host from Pennsylvania, has covered news and sports in Pittsburgh. Her work has been widely displayed at WPXI and Audacy Pittsburgh (KDKA).
She also works as a freelance team reporter and host for Steelers.com and was one of the first female hosts of a sports talk program on KDKA’s sister station, 93.7 The Fan.More regarding Shelby Cassesse
