The Giants moved quickly after Brian Burns suffered an ACL tear, signing Jihad Ward off the Vikings’ practice squad on September 30, 2026. It is a straightforward response to an injury that changed the edge picture immediately, while also creating a fresh question about how Arvell Reese fits into the rotation.
Ward is no stranger to New York. He played for the Giants in 2022-23, then spent 2024 with the Vikings before joining Minnesota’s practice squad just before the 2026 season. Now he is back in the Big Apple, and the timing tells you everything about the urgency of the move.
Why Ward matters now
The Giants needed another edge option, and Ward gives them that plus some flexibility. He can work as an inside-outside option at outside linebacker, which matters because the Giants had already been using Arvell Reese at inside linebacker due to their edge depth to start the season.
That usage had already hinted at a broader role for Reese than some expected. As John Harbaugh put it: “Yeah, I think you can move him around.”
He also said: “It’s another bonus for Arvell. A lot of people thought he was an edge guy. He’s been on the edge already so he’ll show up in there.”
That is the key point for the Giants. Ward helps cover the immediate loss of Burns, but the ripple effect goes further than one roster move. If Ward settles into the outside linebacker group, it could allow the Giants to keep exploring Reese’s pass-rushing traits without forcing him into a rigid role.
What the move says about the Giants
In simple terms, this is about depth, flexibility and survival after a major injury. Burns’ ACL tear forced the Giants to act, and Ward’s arrival gives them another experienced option in a unit that needed reinforcements.
It also underlines that the Giants are still searching for the best way to use their pieces. Ward brings familiarity and a defined edge role, while Reese remains a player whose best long-term position may still be decided by how the snaps break down from here.
The next few games will show whether this is just a short-term fix or the start of a more stable edge rotation for the Giants.
