The Pittsburgh Steelers signed running back Jonathan Ward to their active roster, the team announced on Sunday. Ward could not be elevated from the practice squad to play after using all three of his elevations throughout the season. So, when the team placed cornerback C.J. Henderson on injured reserve, they decided to bring Ward up to the active roster.

That could have signaled ominous news running back Jaylen Warren, who has fought a back injury all week, but he is expected to play. This means that Ward’s elevation could be nothing more than a precaution that the team decided to take in case Warren could not play after going through warmups.

Ward also plays a key role on special teams, but if Warren plays, it does seem likely that Ward is part of the gameday inactives. Pittsburgh still has two practice squad spots open if they want Ward to return to the practice squad instead of staying on the active roster after Sunday if this move was just for a precaution.

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