After a disappointing 2023 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings seem to be heading into a rebuilding phase, as the team let veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins walk in free agency and is currently looking for the new face of the franchise outside of superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
At this point in time, it appears that the Vikings could be ready to make a substantial move in the coming weeks in order to move up in the 2024 NFL Draft, which would improve the team’s chances of landing one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class.
Even though the Vikings recently signed veteran Sam Darnold to a deal, which presumably makes him the Week 1 starter for Minnesota, the team may be determined to land a rookie quarterback that it can build around moving forward.
In the meantime, the team has addressed the defensive side of the football in the wake of letting Danielle Hunter also walk in free agency, with the team inking a deal with veteran linebacker Jihad Ward, formerly of the New York Giants, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
The #Vikings have now signed Jihad Ward. https://t.co/n8NPuYj5Jj
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 20, 2024
This will be Ward’s sixth NFL team, as he has spent time with the then-Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Giants.
Ward isn’t a game-changer for the Vikings, but he is coming off one of his best seasons in the league and could help fill the void left by Hunter, who will be a costly loss for Minnesota’s defense during the 2024 campaign.
It’ll be interesting to see what moves the Vikings make from here on out, especially when it comes to the upcoming draft.
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