While the top three running backs on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ depth chart were settled before the team even reported to training camp, the group behind Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, and Cordarrelle Patterson was a hodgepodge of names fighting and clawing for a place. Exiting training camp, Jonathan Ward appears to be next man up as the fourth running back. That’s unlikely to result in a 53-man roster spot but should translate to a place on the practice squad and a chance to be elevated at a moment’s notice.
Recapping training camp on 93.7 The Fan Friday morning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo highlighted Ward for his strong summer.
“For me, Jonathan Ward, and unfortunately he’s a little bit banged up right now,” Fittipaldo said of his top camp sleeper. “I don’t know if we’re gonna get to see him against the Bills. This is an older guy, didn’t really know too much about him before he came into camp, but he shows up every day. He makes plays as a running back in the running game. He’s really good on special teams.”
With a bit of NFL experience aiding him, Ward signed with the Steelers after trying out during rookie minicamp on a veteran basis. When the team reported to Latrobe, he was on equal footing with fellow veteran La’Mical Perine and youngsters Aaron Shampklin and Daijun Edwards. Ward separated himself with a well-rounded skill set and surprising speed. He busted off an 80-yard touchdown run during a live tackling session one practice and showed creativity and burst to win the edge in last Friday’s preseason opener against the Houston Texans.
“I think this is a guy who’s gonna be on the team either way, whether it’s the 53-man roster or the practice squad,” Fittipaldo said. “You could elevate him for special teams when needed. You always need guys like that…After Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, I think he’s been the third best running back in camp.”
With some Sunday experience under his belt and the versatility and special teams value he brings, Ward should stick on the practice squad. The biggest obstacle, as Fittipaldo alludes to, is injury. Ward suffered a hamstring injury during the final training camp practice, pulling up lame after making a nice one-handed snag of a Russell Wilson throw. It’s unclear but doesn’t appear he practiced yesterday and his status for this weekend is in question if not in doubt.
But if Ward can make it back for the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions and put in another solid performance, he should lock up a practice squad spot, something we suggested over a week ago and an outlook that remains unchanged. The team is likely to keep a second back on the practice squad, too, and Shampklin seems to hold the edge over Perine and Edwards.
