The Ravens are Jihad Ward's fourth team in five seasons, but he has found a home in Baltimore.
The Ravens and Ward agreed to terms on a one-year deal, the team officially announced Friday.
Ward was an important acquisition for the Ravens last season. His 2019 statistics (seven tackles, four quarterback hits, one sack) don't fully reflect the impact he made after the Ravens signed him in early October following his release by the Indianapolis Colts.
Ward joined the Ravens when they were struggling to stop the run, and his impact was immediate. He played 22 snaps in his Ravens debut, a 23-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. Ward's playing time increased to 39 snaps the following week during a 30-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks. From that point, Ward was a regular in the defensive line rotation playing both end and tackle, helping the Ravens end the regular season on a 12-game winning streak.
Michael Pierce has signed with the Minnesota Vikings, which makes Ward's return even more important. And after bouncing from the Oakland Raiders (2016-17) to the Dallas Cowboys (2018), to the Colts (2018-19), the 25-year-old Ward has found the right fit with the Ravens.
With the Ravens acquiring Calais Campbell and reportedly Michael Brockers on the defensive line, it would remain to be seen how Baltimore would use the versatile Ward. He could end up playing more on the edge.
