Jonathan Ward (born September 30, 1997) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Central Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corre ...

College career

Ward was a member of the

Central Michigan Chippewas The Central Michigan Chippewas are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Central Michigan University (CMU), located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school fields sixteen men's and women's intercollegiate teams that compete at the N ...

for four seasons. He finished his collegiate career with 2,539 yards and 28 touchdowns on 473 carries and 98 receptions for 909 yards and four touchdowns.

Professional career

Arizona Cardinals

Ward was signed by the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...

as an undrafted free agent on April 25, 2020. He was waived on September 5, 2020, during final roster cuts and was re-signed to the team's practice squad the next day. Ward was elevated to the Cardinals' active roster on September 26, 2020, and made his NFL debut the following day against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

. He reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was elevated again on October 3 for the week 4 game against the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

, and reverted to the practice squad again following the game. He was promoted to the active roster on October 6, 2020. In Week 17 of the 2020 season against the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...

, Ward recorded his first career reception for an eleven yard touchdown during the 18–7 loss. On October 12, 2022, Ward was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He was released on November 22.

New York Jets

On November 29, 2022, Ward was signed to the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

practice squad. He was released on December 6.

Tennessee Titans

On December 14, 2022, Ward was signed to the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 29. He was waived on August 28. Ward was then re-signed to the Titans practice squad on October 24. He was promoted to the active roster on November 11, but waived a week later. Ward was then signed to the practice squad on November 21. He was signed to the active roster on December 11.

Pittsburgh Steelers

On May 21, 2024, Ward signed a one-year contract with the

References

External links

Central Michigan Chippewas bioArizona Cardinals bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Jonathan 1997 births Living people American football running backs Arizona Cardinals players Central Michigan Chippewas football players New York Jets players Players of American football from Illinois Sportspeople from Kankakee, Illinois Tennessee Titans players Pittsburgh Steelers players