Jimmie Ward, Texans Player, on NFL Exempt List
The NFL has placed Houston Texans starting safety Jimmie Ward on the commissioner’s exemption list, the league announced on Tuesday. Ward will not be able to train or attend matches while on this list. This decision comes after Ward’s arrest in Montgomery County, Texas, on June 12, at 5:38 a.m., for alleged domestic violence at his home in Magnolia, involving his fiancée. Houston general manager Nick Caserio, when asked about Ward’s initial arrest on the first day of training camp, stated that the team “would let the legal process take care of itself.” Almost two months later, Ward was arrested on August 7 for violating the conditions of his pre-release by testing positive for alcohol, which forced him to spend the night in jail. The woman involved in the incident filed a lawsuit in the Harris County (Texas) District Court on August 21. She also alleged that, on the morning of the arrest, she was “violently assaulted on multiple occasions, both sexually and physically” by Ward in the presence of her 3-year-old son. She added that she was slapped, strangled, threatened, and forced to perform oral sex. Finally, she ran out into the street and called 911. When asked about the latest claim after the joint practice of the Texans and the Detroit Lions on August 21, coach DeMeco Ryans said: “We’ll let the situation play itself out.”Ward, 33, signed a two-year, $13 million contract with the Texans two years ago as a free agent, after spending his first nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. In 2023, Ward played 10 games and had one interception. The Texans then gave him a one-year extension in August 2024 and had two interceptions in 10 games.I know there are a lot of accusations and things with Jimmie. We don’t know the true story, and I hate to judge any situation with Jimmie. Let what has to happen in the court system play out. But I think it’s unfair to rush to judgment when accusations and stories come out about players. Everyone is quick to jump on the negative side with players. Let it play out.
DeMeco Ryans, Texans Coach
