Yesterday, the Houston Roughnecks signed defensive end/outside linebacker Tim Ward, boosting an already strong defensive line. Ward played college football at Old Dominion, where he recorded 125 total tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and 8 pass breakups over the course of four seasons.
After not being selected in the 2019 NFL draft, Ward signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, winning Super Bowl LVI with the team as a rookie. However, he spent that entire season on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. He made his debut with the Chiefs in 2020, recording five tackles and a sack in his first game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Ward was waived during final roster cuts prior to the 2021 season.
Ward spent 2021 with the New York Jets after being claimed off waivers. He appeared in 11 games for the team with limited defensive snaps, totaling 12 tackles and 2 passes defended on the year. He was again released prior to the 2022 season, and his most recent stop was with the Green Bay Packers on their practice squad.
Standing at 6’6”, Ward has great leverage coming off the edge and can already be viewed as a nice fit for the Wade Phillips/Brian Stewart 3-4 alignment. The Roughnecks have put a lot of emphasis on the guys up front, and this signing further brings the point home.
