Jonathan

Ward

Leal was replaced on the active roster by OLB Ade Ogundeji. Pittsburgh is also elevating RB Jonathan Ward and OLB Eku Leota from the practice squad this week. The Steelers now have 13 players on injured reserve.

We are only noting because James Conner (ribs) and Darrel Williams (knee) were also knocked out with injury. If you were looking to Ward for desperation Week 6 touches behind Eno Benjamin against the Seahawks, you will have to look elsewhere.

Running back Jonathan Ward was also re-signed. Both players were exclusive rights free agents. With Christian Kirk and A.J. Green set to hit free agency, Wesely gives the team a backstop at wide receiver. He posted a 19/208/3 receiving line in 2021 and took on a larger role after DeAndre Hopkins went down. Wesley could climb as high as WR3 on the depth chart this season.

Ward is also being evaluated for a concussion. Ward missile’d into Green Bay return man Kylin Hill on a third quarter kick and immediately went down. After remaining there for several minutes, Ward was backboarded and carted, thankfully with movement in his extremities. The special teamer has also briefly mixed in on offense this season, handling five touches in seven games. Ward is a second-year UDFA out of Central Michigan.

Chase Edmonds, to no one’s surprise, is listed as the team’s top back, followed by James Conner and Jonathan Ward, a 2020 Arizona practice squad player who had one touch last season. Benjamin, 22, an intriguing 2020 draft prospect out of Arizona State, remains buried on the depth chart despite some training camp buzz. He’s unlikely to have any fantasy relevance this season barring injuries to Conner or Edmonds. We could see plenty of Benjamin in the preseason.

Ward (6'0/202) led the team with 6.8 yards per attempt while giving Kobe Lewis a breather. The Chippewas were able to do whatever they wanted on the ground, gobbling up 289 yards and five touchdowns on 6.1 yards per tote as a unit. He has scored at least once in seven straight outings, posting 13 times on the ground and once through the air during the impressive run. He’ll look to keep up the scoring ways against Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship Game next Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit.

Ward (6'0/202) has now rushed for at least 100 yards in two straight and six of his last seven games. And during that stretch the senior running back has scored 12 rushing touchdowns, with Saturday’s four-score effort representing a career-high. Ward, who has rushed for 968 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, will look to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in the Chippewas’ regular season finale vs. Toledo on November 29.

Make it six games of at least 100 yards rushing for Ward (6'0/202) this season. This particular performance was also the third time both he and Kobe Lewis have gone for over 100 yards in the same game. Central Michigan’s running game has been the heart of the offense all season and so long as Ward is healthy, that will continue to be the case. Central Michigan battle Ball State for conference title stakes in two weeks.

Ward (6'0/202) has scored at least one touchdown in each of his last four games, most recently rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the Chippewas’ 43-20 loss at Buffalo. But he isn’t guaranteed to start Saturday’s game, as sophomore Kobe Lewis is listed as the other possible starter. Lewis rushed for 29 yards on eight carries in CMU’s loss to Buffalo.

Ward and the Chippewas had no issue finding creases in the run game on Saturday, as he and Kobe Lewis were able to both go over the century mark and combined for three scores. The 6-foot, 202-pound tailback scored two scores in the second quarter, and his nine-yard touchdown in the third completed the trifecta and opened the lead to 28-14. Ward will try and make it five-straight games over that hundred-yard barrier on Saturday when the Chippewas face the Bulls of Buffalo.