Vikings Reunite with Edge Rusher Not Named Kenny Dyson Jr.

The Minnesota Vikings ran into a weird situation the other day: they brought edge rusher Kenny Dyson Jr. back to the practice squad, but the NFL decided that wasn’t going to happen. It’s not just because the NFL may or may not hate the Vikings and/or Mr. Dyson; it was completely within the league’s rules to sign players who were waived with an injury designation.

Former PurplePTSD legend and current contributor for VikesNow, Janik Eckhardt, explained it eloquently: “As salary-cap analyst Brian McFarland explained, the club that released a player with an injury settlement cannot re-sign him until the settlement term has expired, plus three additional weeks. Dyson was released with his settlement less than two weeks ago.

“The exact length of the agreement has not been disclosed, so his specific date of eligibility to return to Minnesota is unknown. But the rule makes clear why the Vikings could not bring him back right away. The NFL has not publicly identified the reason it said no to Dyson’s contract. Still, the timing and the injury-settlement restriction make the explanation apparent. This does not mean Dyson cannot return later in the season. It means he cannot return yet.”

And so, the Vikings again needed to address their edge depth even after the signing of Kyle Van Noy. Well, they did that today.

Vikings Bring Back Jihad Ward

The great Lindsey Young, writer and editor for the Vikings’ official website, alerted the world of the signing of Jihad Ward: “The Vikings have returned a familiar face to the locker room. Minnesota signed outside linebacker Jihad Ward to its practice squad, the team announced Wednesday.”

Ward was a cog in the machine of the magic carpet ride that was Sam Darnold’s revitalization in 2024. He played in all 17 games, starting two, and racked up 10 tackles, a sack, a pass defensed, and a fumble recovery. Young also mentioned that Ward posted a career-high 14 QB hits until he bested that number in 2025 during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans.

The Vikings have clearly felt that they need more edge depth after they trimmed the fat off of their 53-man roster, adding Kyle Van Noy and Jihad Ward in the span of about a week. Minnesota’s defense also got another boost with the return of the great Harrison Smith, who is sure to one day be an inductee into the team’s Ring of Honor.

Vikings’ Pass-Rushers Starting to Look Pretty Decent

Jihad Ward brings something that Brian Flores really values: familiarity with the system. Not only could Ward be a contributor, but he also knows exactly what’s being asked of him and doesn’t really have to learn anything completely new.

Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel will lead the room, and for now, Kyle Van Noy and Jihad Ward will be on the practice squad. As we get deeper into the season and these two gentlemen get conditioned, expect them to get more involved. Between the starting duo and the two elder statesmen on the practice squad are Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss, two young and raw talents looking to get opportunities themselves.

Whatever the case may be, with the signings of Van Noy and Ward, as well as the return of Harrison Smith, the Vikings defense is looking better than it did when the preseason ended.