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Jimmie Ward

Texans Announce Final Roster Moves To Get To 53

August 26th, 2025 at 11:06pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans cut some big names on their way down to an initial 53-man roster. Here’s a look at all the moves they made:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/NFI:

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on commissioner exempt/reserve/PUP:

The Texans took some flyers on some discarded veterans this offseason and, ultimately, decided to throw a lot of them right back in the pond. We’ve already gone into detail on Brown, Maulet, and Niemann, but it’s a bit shocking to the trade return for John Metchie get released after a little over a week. Houston even attached a fifth-round pick to Metchie to make the deal happen and received Bryant and a sixth-rounder in exchange. Now, all they have from that deal is a sixth-round pick.

Mills, like Brown, saw his 2024 season ruined by injuries, something not uncommon in Mills’ career. The Texans took a good look at him this offseason, but even with Ward’s ongoing issues, Mills will not debut for his fourth NFL team. Meanwhile, Cephus and Arnette continue to struggle on their way back to playing in an NFL game, while on the injury front, Smith joins fellow tight end Brevin Jordan on season-ending injured reserve.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 identifies both the rookie tight end Lachey (seventh round) and the undrafted rookie linebacker Ossai as players that the team will make a priority to bring back on the practice squad.

Texans S Jimmie Ward Placed On Commissioner’s Exempt List

August 26th, 2025 at 3:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jimmie Ward is already in position to miss the first four games of the season, but health is not the only factor which could impact his return to to action. The Texans safety was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list Tuesday, per a league announcement.

Ward is therefore prohibited from practicing or playing for Houston until he is removed from the list. Since he will begin the season on the reserve/PUP list, those conditions are already in place for September. Still, this development is a sign Ward’s legal situation is unsettled in the NFL’s view.

The 34-year-old was arrested in June on an assault family violence charge. Following that third-degree felony case’s opening, Ward was prohibited from consuming alcohol as a condition of his bail. He was arrested earlier this month for violating it. The court case in this situation has not yet been resolved, and Ward is also the subject of a civil suit stemming from the matter.

NFL investigations often do not begin in earnest until after the legal process winds down. As a result, it comes as little surprise Ward has been moved to the league’s equivalent of paid leave with an indefinite period on tap before his case is concluded. League discipline does not require a criminal conviction, so a fine and/or suspension could be looming regardless of how the coming weeks unfold with respect to the case.

Houston will rely on trade acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson as a key figure at the safety spot in 2025. Calen Bullock is also on track for a starting spot, while rookie Jaylen Reed is set to handle a backup role. The Texans’ full list of Tuesday cuts has not yet emerged, but their roster decisions will need to take into account Ward’s absence for the next month and potentially beyond that point.

Texans To Move Jimmie Ward To Reserve/PUP List

August 25th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two Texans will be shifted to reserve lists when the team sets its initial 53-man roster Tuesday. As Joe Mixon will be transferred to the reserve/NFI list, Jimmie Ward is heading to the reserve/PUP list.

Ward has not recovered from offseason foot surgery, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Spending training camp on the active/PUP list, Ward must either be activated or transferred to the reserve/PUP list by Tuesday’s 3pm CT deadline. Not healthy enough to practice, Ward will miss at least the Texans’ first four games.

Ward’s age, injury and off-field trouble may put his career in jeopardy. The longtime DeMeco Ryans pupil has been arrested twice this year — the first on an assault family violence impeding breath/circulation charge and the second for violating his bail by consuming alcohol — and is rehabbing from surgery stemming from a Week 16 injury.

Ward, who has missed seven games in each of his two Texans seasons, will join Tank Dell as players to go down in a regular-season loss to the Chiefs but not be ready for the upcoming season. Dell’s injuries were considerably more severe, and the third-year wide receiver is expected to miss the full season.

Houston deployed Ward as a safety and in the slot during his two-year tenure, and the team has him tied to a $2.75MM base salary for 2025. If the Texans release Ward, it will cost them $4.63MM. That could certainly be a possibility, as could an NFL suspension. Ward is not in the clear legally, either, with Wilson adding Ward’s case is heading to a grand jury in September. And this foot issue offers another complication for the former first-round pick.

The Texans traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson this offseason and dodged a bullet when the nomadic defender avoided an ACL tear. The team also has returning starter Calen Bullock at safety, patrolling the back line of a secondary that features Kamari Lassiter and recently extended CBs Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre. Ward’s place on a third Texans defense is foggy.

NFL Roster Updates: Doubs, Lazard, Smith, Ward, Bush

August 22nd, 2025 at 7:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur emphatically shut down rumors that wide receiver Romeo Doubs wouldn’t make the team’s 53-man roster.

“I’d be very shocked if he was going anywhere,” LaFleur told Kay Adams during an Up & Adams appearance on Thursday.

When asked again if Doubs would be cut, LaFleur responded, “No. That will not happen.” 

The uncertainty surrounding the fourth-year wideout stems from the Packers’ depth at the position after adding Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in April’s draft. However, LaFleur noted that the team was “missing a lot of guys,” namely returning starters Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. Watson, coming off an ACL tear in January, is expected to begin the year on the PUP list, while a sprained foot may sideline Reed for the beginning of the regular season. Williams (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) also missed practice on Tuesday, per ESPN.

As a result, Doubs’ roster spot is safe. Judging by LaFleur’s comments, he would’ve made the team even with a healthy receiver room.

“‘Rome’ is out there competing and doing everything that we need to see from him,” said LaFleur. “And obviously he’s played a lot of ball for us, and at a high level. He’s been a great teammate, he goes out there and you can count on him every day.”

Here are a few other updates on key roster situations around the league:

Texans S Jimmie Ward Arrested For Violating Bail

August 8th, 2025 at 8:49am CST by Sam Robinson

Jimmie Ward is due in court next week for a hearing on his third-degree felony charge. That hearing had been postponed from mid-July to August 13. In advance of that, the Texans safety was arrested again.

The 34-year-old defender spent Thursday night in Montgomery County Jail after being arrested on an alcohol charge in Texas, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Ward tested positive for alcohol, which is a violation of his bail.

Ward’s attorney said the former first-round pick was unaware he could not consume any alcohol as part of a bond condition; Ward is expected to be released from jail Friday, Wilson adds. Ward is currently on the active/PUP list while rehabbing foot surgery.

In his third year with the Texans, Ward has seen off-field issues overshadow his aim at playing a 12th NFL season. The former 49ers draftee was accused of assaulting, strangling and threatening the mother of his child, being hit with an assault family violence impeding breath/circulation charge related to an incident at his home in Magnolia, Texas. The woman has been granted an emergency protective order. After his August 13 information setting court date, Ward is due back in court to appear before a grand jury August 31.

The Texans have Ward tied to a $5.67MM cap number; he is due a $2.75MM base salary. An NFL suspension is unlikely to come before this grand jury appearance, potentially putting Ward in position to debut on time with the Texans. But he has also yet to practice with the team during camp.

Ward suffered the season-ending foot malady in Week 16. The Texans then traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who has worked as a starter alongside Calen Bullock. Gardner-Johnson dodged a bullet in avoiding an ACL tear in practice Thursday, but the twice-traded DB is still expected to miss time with an unspecified knee injury.

Texans’ Tank Dell Expected To Miss Season

July 23rd, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is likely to miss the entire 2025 season as he continues his recovery from last year’s brutal knee injury, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Dell dislocated his knee and tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL in a Week 16 loss to the Chiefs. With such a severe injury, Houston’s focus is on Dell’s health and long-term career outlook. The team wants him to get healthy rather than rushing back to play this year.

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said (via Wilson) that Dell is “crushing the rehab,” but declined to offer a specific timeline. His comments hinted that the team is not counting on Dell to return this season.

Injuries were always the biggest concern surrounding Dell. His 5-foot-7, 165-pound frame was already undersized by college standards; in the NFL, it’s minuscule. Sitting out this season will set up a major contract year in 2026. Dell will need to prove that he is back at full health and can remain there for an entire season while maintaining his production.

Dell was placed on the active/PUP list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, along with teammates Trent Brown and Jimmie Ward.

Brown has been medically cleared to return to the field after missing most of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Though he has recovered from surgery, the Texans are still expected to ease him into action in training camp, per Wilson.

Ward, however, is not medically cleared as he recovers from offseason foot surgery. He was sidelined throughout the spring, but has recently “resumed running and is making good progress,” according to Wilson. He is also facing a third-degree felony charge for domestic violence with an August 13 court date. The NFL is monitoring the case to prepare for potential discipline, though the league typically waits until legal matters have concluded before issuing a punishment.

Court Date Set For Texans S Jimmie Ward

June 20th, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 20: Ward’s court date has now been revised to August 13, per Wilson. The court proceedings will take place well into training camp and midway through Houston’s preseason schedule as a result.

JUNE 19: Last week, Jimmie Ward was arrested and charged with assault family violence impeding breath/circulation. The Texans safety now has a court date scheduled.

Ward will have his initial court hearing on July 16, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. The 33-year-old’s charge is a third-degree felony stemming from an alleged incident which took place at his home in Magnolia, Texas. During a pre-trial hearing, Ward was informed a guilty verdict could lead to a sentence up to 10 years in length and a $100K fine.

“We believe that Jimmie will be vindicated,” a statement from Ward’s attorney, Steve Jackson, reads (via Wilson). “We just ask that the public reserve judgment so that we can show everyone that the Jimmie Ward they all know is the same person and did not do this.”

During a reading of the charges, the assistant district attorney noted how the alleged victim in the case – Ward’s fiancé – told police Ward “slapped her in the face, strangled her and threatened to kill her.” She filed for and received an emergency protective order in the wake of the incident. Ward was released from prison on a $30K bond and his movements will be monitored via GPS.

A longtime starter with the 49ers, Ward joined DeMeco Ryans and the Texans in 2023. He has operated as a team captain during each of his two years in Houston while handling a notable defensive workload. Thanks to an extension signed last offseason, the former first-rounder is under contract for 2025 and is owed $3.25MM this year. That could obviously change in the wake of legal developments taking place and/or an NFL suspension being handed down before the start of the season.

Texans S Jimmie Ward Arrested On Family Violence Charge

June 12th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:45pm: Providing further details on the matter, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes the alleged victim in this case is Ward’s fiancé. She informed police she had been “assaulted, strangled, and threatened” by Ward. The latter’s official charge is assault family violence impeding breath/circulation, which is a third-degree felony in Texas.

Ward’s fiancé has filed an emergency protective order in the wake of the incident. Meanwhile, Wilson adds Ward has since been released on $30K bail.

9:41am: Texans safety Jimmie Ward was arrested early Thursday morning following an incident at his home in Magnolia, Texas, as detailed by the Houston Chronicle’s Catherine Dominguez and Jonathan Alexander.

Ward is facing a felony assault family violence charge after being arrested around 5:30am. Per records from the Montgomery County Jail, the 33-year-old stands accused of strangulation stemming from the incident in question. Ward is currently being held without bond.

“We are aware of the report involving Jimmie Ward,” a team statement reads. “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”

Ward spent the first nine years of his career in San Francisco, spending plenty of time working with DeMeco Ryans along the way. Player and coach have continued their relationship over the past two years with Ryans at the helm of the Texans. Ward has been limited to 10 games in each of the 2023 and ’24 campaigns, but he has operated as a starter when healthy, logging a notable defensive snap share and totaling three interceptions during that time.

The Northern Illinois product originally joined the Texans on a two-year deal, but he received an extension last offseason. Ward is thus under contract for 2025 and is owed $3.25MM for the campaign. A foot injury ended his 2024 season in December, and while he has continued to recover Ward has been sidelined from spring practices. As he continues to work toward full health, his Texans future could now depend on this legal situation.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/23/24

December 23rd, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Tennessee Titans

The Titans’ decision to move on from Brayden Narveson comes as a bit of a surprise following this weekend’s roster machinations. The organization didn’t only promote the kicker from the practice squad…they also signed him through the 2025 campaign. With Nick Folk apparently approaching full health, the Titans have decided to stick with the veteran and move on from his fill-in.

Narveson’s stint with the Titans featured only a single appearance, when he missed his lone field goal attempt and converted two extra points in yesterday’s loss. Narveson spent the beginning of the season in Green Bay, where he converted 12 of his 17 field goal attempts.

Texans’ Jimmie Ward Out For Season; Shaq Mason To Miss Time

December 23rd, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tank Dell‘s injury headlined the Texans’ issues coming out of their Week 16 loss in Kansas City, but Houston also lost a key presence on defense. With Jalen Pitre out, Jimmie Ward had filled in back in a slot cornerback role. The veteran safety, however, is out of the picture for the season’s remainder.

Ward is set to undergo season-ending foot surgery. While it is believed the 11th-year defender dodged a fracture and did not sustain structural damage, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicates the second-year Texan is out indefinitely. Ward could not put weight on his injured foot and left Saturday’s game on a cart.

Injuries have been a regular issue for Ward over the course of his career. As he has toggled between pure safety and slot corner, the former first-round pick has missed 51 games as a pro. This included seven absences last season and five more coming into Week 16. The Texans still reached a second contract agreement with the longtime 49er this summer, giving him a one-year add-on. The second Texans deal brought Ward $8.8MM at signing, putting him under contract through 2025, though it would cost Houston only $4.6MM in dead money to move on.

Ward’s injury troubles may prompt the Texans to have that conversation, but the 33-year-old cover man has played four seasons under DeMeco Ryans during the latter’s time as a head coach or defensive coordinator. Overall, Ryans has been on staff — as a quality control coach or position coach, initially — in eight of Ward’s 11 seasons. He has operated exclusively as a starter since following Ryans to Houston in 2023.

The Texans placed Pitre on IR due to a partially torn pectoral muscle, an injury expected to sideline the recent second-round pick for the season. Ward’s injury further thins a secondary that appears in some trouble. Houston used Myles Bryant initially to replace Ward in the slot, before then sliding rookie boundary corner Kamari Lassiter inside and moving Jeff Okudah to the perimeter position opposite Derek Stingley Jr. One of these two plans will be needed moving forward, as the Texans deal with another setback in their secondary. The Stingley-Okudah-Lassiter play is expected to be Houston’s play here, per Wilson. Signed to a one-year, $4.75MM deal this offseason, Okudah has only played in five games (with zero starts) with the Texans.

While Ward has battled injuries throughout his career, the Texans also saw their most durable offensive lineman go down. Shaq Mason, who had not missed a game since the 2021 season, left the Chiefs matchup with a knee injury. The 2023 trade pickup, however, is believed to have avoided a serious injury, Wilson adds. Though, Houston’s right guard starter is still expected to miss between two and four weeks, Wilson adds. This could affect the former Patriots and Buccaneers starter’s playoff availability, but this timetable also at least keeps him in play to come back before season’s end.

Kendrick Green replaced Mason, who had been the only Texans player not to miss time during Ryans’ first season. Mason entered Week 16 having started 60 straight games. The Texans had already moved Tytus Howard from right tackle to left guard, with Juice Scruggs out with a foot injury. Scruggs is not on IR and could return in Week 17.

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