Texans release veteran safety Jimmie Ward

DJ Bien-AimeMar 2, 2026, 10:23 PM ET

CloseDJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets for the New York Daily News. He’s a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show “Talkin’ Texans.”

Multiple Authors

HOUSTON — The Houston Texans released veteran safety Jimmie Ward on Monday.

Houston saves $750,000 on its salary cap with the move.

Ward did not play this past season. He started training camp on the physically unable to perform list as he recovered from offseason foot surgery.

A month before camp, on June 12, Ward was arrested in Montgomery County, Texas, on suspicion of third-degree felony domestic violence. The woman involved later filed a lawsuit in Harris County (Texas) District Court. She said on the morning of the arrest that she was “violently assaulted multiple times, both sexually and physically” by Ward in the presence of their 3-year-old child.

Ward was placed on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list on Aug. 26. He was removed in September after a grand jury decided not to indict him.

Ward was arrested for a second time on Aug. 7 for violating his previous release conditions by testing positive for alcohol. As a result, he had to spend the night in jail.

Ward joined the Texans in 2023 during coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season in Houston. He recorded 98 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions, with one returned for a touchdown, in 20 games.