Giants Sign Trace Ford to 53-Man Roster After Jihad Ward's Release

Oct 20

4 min read

Updated: 6 minutes ago

Published Oct 20, 2026, 4:18 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

The Giants are signing outside linebacker Trace Ford to the 53-man roster, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Tuesday.
Ford had used all three practice squad elevations and has seven tackles on 49 defensive snaps.
He takes the roster spot opened by Jihad Ward's release, five days before the Giants visit Houston.

Trace Ford has a permanent spot on the Giants' 53-man roster. New York is signing the second-year outside linebacker, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Tuesday, after Ford ran out of practice squad elevations.

Citing a source, Duggan wrote on X that Ford "slides into the roster spot opened by Jihad Ward's release." Ford has appeared in three games, playing 49 defensive snaps with seven tackles, according to the report shared by Big Blue Film Room on X.

The Giants elevated Ford on Oct. 3, Oct. 10 and Oct. 17, according to Giants.com's transaction tracker. Ward was released Tuesday morning, as we covered in Giants Release Jihad Ward After Two Games and 41 Defensive Snaps.

Why Trace Ford Had to Join the Giants' 53-Man Roster

The rulebook left the Giants little choice. Under NFL rules, a practice squad player can be elevated for a maximum of three regular-season games in a league year. After that, he must be added to the 53-man roster.

Ford hit that limit in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Saints. On Oct. 10, Duggan wrote that Ford and receiver Dalen Cambre would "likely both sign to the 53 eventually, but the Giants could exhaust their P-squad elevations first." That is how it played out.

Trace Ford Has Earned a Rotational Role for the Giants

Ford's job is narrow but real. In the Week 5 tie at Washington, he played 16 snaps "exclusively on early downs to spell the top edge rushers," Duggan wrote.

Those starters are Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, with Brian Burns on injured reserve since Sept. 29.

Ford's production compares well with Ward's. Ward made one tackle on 41 defensive snaps in two games. Ford has seven tackles on 49 snaps across three, per his Giants.com player profile.

The Giants are releasing OLB Jihad Ward, per Connor Hughes. Ward played in two games for the Giants and 41 total defensive snaps. He recorded 1 tackle. — Big Blue Film Room (@BigBlueFilmRoom) on X, October 20, 2026

By the Numbers: Trace Ford's Tackles Game by Game

Game (result)	Total tackles	Solo
Week 4 vs. Cardinals (W 36-24)	2	2
Week 5 at Commanders (T 27-27)	2	1
Week 6 vs. Saints (L 34-27)	3	1
2026 season (3 games, 0 starts)	7	4

Source: Giants.com player profile (2026 game log and season totals).

The caveat is the sample. Forty-nine snaps over three games is a part-time workload, and Ford has no sacks. Duggan wrote Tuesday morning that he was "not sure it's a lock that he gets signed to the 53."

PFF graded his defense against the Saints at 39.6, the lowest mark on the team, as our Giants PFF grades for Week 6 show. He posted a 72.4 on special teams.

Ford, 25, took the long road. He signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma in May 2025, per Giants.com. He was waived at final cuts on Aug. 30 and re-signed to the practice squad a day later.

What Comes Next for Trace Ford and the Giants

The signing lets the Giants dress Ford every week without counting elevations. He stood out early, too: he caught John Harbaugh's eye in camp, as we covered in Trace Ford Giants Update: Elevated to Active Roster Again.

Trace Ford will be elevated again to the active roster for fhe Giants this week, per Jordan Raanan. He saw some game action last week vs the Commanders. … — Big Blue Film Room (@BigBlueFilmRoom) on X, October 17, 2026

Neither report said how Ford's role will change against Houston or whether another edge move is coming. The 3-2-1 Giants visit the 2-4 Texans on Sunday in their final game before the bye.

Our Take: Trace Ford Earned the Giants' Roster Spot

The NFL's elevation limit forced the decision, but the Giants still made a choice. They kept Trace Ford and released a veteran, Jihad Ward, who had one tackle on 41 snaps.

Seven tackles on 49 snaps over three games is a modest line. For a young edge player, it is more than Ward gave them.

The bigger context is the pass rush. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter have two sacks combined this season, and Brian Burns is out.

Ford won't fix that alone. But choosing development over a short-term veteran is the right call for a team that has to find more pressure.

Ford's next step is earning snaps in the regular rotation. The Texans game gives him a chance to do it.

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