While the Steelers have an established one-two punch at running back in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, they still added talent to the room in the offseason. Of course, they added the talented hybrid offensive weapon Cordarrelle Patterson but they added another guy that already impressed the coaches.

Jonathan Ward is a fifth-year running back that played his college ball at Central Michigan. Ward went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft but signed with the Cardinals afterwards. After his time in Arizona and a stint on the Tennessee Titans roster, Ward was without a job. That was until his agent told him he was heading the Pittsburgh.

Any free agent would love to get a job but after the immediate shock of getting the call, Ward switched into work mode and was ready to get to the field.

“My initial reaction was just ‘let’s go to work,’” Ward said on The Sick Podcast. “First thing first, I gave praise and glory to God for the opportunity because I was sitting around waiting in the unknown, didn’t know what was going to happen next and got the call out of the blue. … After that everything else was just ‘let’s work’ mentality.”

Despite receiving just 17 carries over his first five seasons, Ward is a versatile back that can catch the ball and he possesses good speed. His versatility is what gives him pride. He credited it to allowing him to carve out a career in the league.

“That’s literally what I hone my game around,” Ward said. “That is what I think has kept me in the league so far. I came out COVID year so I didn’t even have a preseason to get to be able to display my skills that year. … Ever since I started playing football that has just been my game.”

While he impressed that coaches enough to earn a contract after his rookie minicamp tryout, Ward will need to impress them again in training camp to stay on the roster. With Harris and Warren expected to get little work in the preseason, Ward will get plenty of touches in the preseason. His goal is to impress enough that people begin to learn his name.

“Just to be more than I am expected to be,” Ward said. “That’s just always been my story to my career from high school all the way up until now. A lot of people never know who I am from name affiliation but they always point and end up asking ‘who is that running down the field’ or ‘who is that number.’ Just to continue building off of that from previous years.”

Entering his fifth season, on the edge of a roster, Ward’s time in the league could end at any moment and he knows that. While he wants to continue playing, he is spending his free time sharing his knowledge with the younger guys.

“The older you are, the less time you have in the league,” Ward said at Steelers rookie camp. “At the same time, it’s just football. Coming out and sharing the gems that I’ve picked up over the years with the younger guys, it’s just a blessing. And that also gives me an advantage too because you get a little bit of a player and a coach in the same aspect.”

Regardless, Ward’s spot on the 53-man roster still needs to be earned. Three running backs, possibly four if you count Patterson, will make the final squad and with Harris and Warren as locks, Ward has a very slim chance to crack the roster.

48 • Jonathan Ward, Running Back, Central Michigan
6-foot-0, 202 pounds, 26 years old, 5th Season

Acquired: The Steelers signed Jonathan Ward on May 21, 2024, after a successful tryout at the team’s rookie minicamp.

Last Season: Jonathan Ward bounced between the Titans practice squad and active roster in 2023. Ward played in eight games and appeared mainly on special teams. He totaled just 11 yards on three carries while on offense.

Career: Jonathan Ward played in 14 games as a rookie, mostly on special teams, and then another 13 games in Arizona in 2021, when he saw his first real offensive action, rushing for 33 yards on nine carries and catching three of four targets for 34 yards.

In 2022, Ward played five games with Arizona, all on special teams, before a hamstring injury forced him to the injured reserve list. He was then released, and spent some time on the New York Jets practice squad before catching on with the Tennessee Titans.

With Tennessee, Ward played in three games in 2022 rushing five times for 25 yards and catching two of three passes for seven yards while again playing a significant role on special teams.

In his first four seasons, Ward has appeared in 43 games and has logged 17 carries for 69 yards.

College: Jonathan Ward played his college football at Central Michigan. After a relatively quiet true freshman season, Ward bursted onto the scene in 2016. In 13 games, Ward led the team with 178 carries, 1,019 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added 48 receptions for 470 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Ward’s play dipped drastically as a junior but he rebounded strong as a senior. In 2019, Ward put up a career-high 1,108 rushing yards on 183 carries and 15 rushing scores. He earned third-team All-Mac honors following the season.

In his four years in school, Ward accumulated 473 carries, 2,539 rushing yards, 28 rushing touchdowns, 98 receptions, 909 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Salary cap and future: Jonathan Ward signed a veteran minimum contract with the Steelers. This means that if he makes the final roster, he will earn $1.125 million but the team will only incur a $985,000 cap hit. If the Steelers decided to release Ward, they will not face any dead money penalties.