Houston Texans' Jimmie Ward Placed on Exempt List

The Houston Texans will likely be without at least one veteran name in the back end of their secondary to start the 2025 NFL season.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Texans safety Jimmie Ward has been placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List, meaning he may not practice or attend games while he remains on the list.

NFL placed Texans safety Jimmie Ward on the Commissioner Exempt List, meaning he may not practice or attend games while he remains on the list. pic.twitter.com/jwHG8GcaHw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2025

The move to the exempt list for Ward stems from the legal troubles he had faced earlier this offseason, as the 33-year-old was arrested on a domestic violence case and had yet to see discipline from the NFL. Ward was also arrested earlier in August due to violating the pre-trial terms of possessing alcohol.

Now, the league has forced him onto the sidelines entering the 2025 season, which could eventually lead to an official suspension depending on the outcome of the NFL's investigation.

Nov 24, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Joshua Kelley (25) is tackled by Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward (20) in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans commented on Ward's situation last week, as the veteran safety would also be hit with a civil suit surrounding the same case.

"I know there are a lot of allegations and things with Jimmie," Ryans said. "We don't know the true story, and I hate to jump to judgment on any situation with Jimmie. Let whatever has to happen in the court system, let that play out. But, I think it's unfair to rush to judgment when allegations and stories come out on players. Everybody's quick to jump on it and jump on the negative side with the players. Let's just allow it to play out."

Ward is an 11-year veteran in the NFL, selected in the first round in 2014 by the San Francisco 49ers, where he ended up spending nine years and playing in 109 total games before joining the Texans in 2023.

During his latest season with the Texans, Ward started in ten games to log 48 total tackles, five TFLs, four passes defended, and two interceptions before going down with a season-ending knee injury in the middle of the season.

A big piece of Houston's secondary, Ward has yet to practice or play in preseason for the Texans heading into the 2025 season, as he's been placed on the PUP list amid the recovery from his knee injury suffered in 2024.

The Texans have also faced some uncertainty at the safety position in the form of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who went down with a scary knee injury earlier in training camp, as well as rookie Jaylin Smith, dealing with a sprained knee, both with their Week 1 status vs. the Los Angeles Rams up in the air.

In the meantime, expect the Texans to be held down by second-year standout Calen Bullock as the leader in this safety unit

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