Jimmie Ward’s Houston era is officially over.
The Houston Texans have decided to release their veteran safety Ward, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday. Schefter notes that Houston stands to save $750,000 on their salary cap with the move.
Ward, the 34-year-old former first-round pick, had been with the Texans since 2023. He had productive years in both 2023 and 2024, even serving as a team captain for Houston during that span.
But Ward suffered a season-ending foot injury in Dec. 2024 that required surgery. As a result, he was placed on the reserve/PUP list ahead of the 2025 NFL season and went on to miss the entire year.
Additionally, Ward got arrested in June 2025 on a disturbing charge of family violence. He was accused of strangling his fiancée and allegedly forcing her to perform oral sex on him while he was under the influence of crystal meth (read the full details here). Ward was then arrested again in August after allegedly violating a condition of his bond by testing positive for alcohol. However in September, a grand jury ultimately declined to indict Ward on the family violence charge after failing to find probable cause that he had committed the alleged crime.
The Texans are looking for ways to save money this offseason and could soon end up releasing another well-known veteran as well. For now though, Ward is the one getting kicked to the curb by Houston (though ESPN might still think that Ward plays for them regardless).
