Jimmie Ward will be subject to the NFL’s personal conduct policy following a felony domestic violence charge in Texas.
Former San Francisco 49ers first-round pick and current Houston Texans safety Jimmie Ward was arrested Thursday morning and formally charged with a felony count of assault involving family violence.
Ward has been charged with assault—family violence—and impeding breath/circulation.. It is a third-degree felony under Texas Law. He has been released on bond and is required to wear a GPS monitor.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an assault in progress at Ward’s residence. The alleged victim was identified as Ward’s fiancée.
“She informed them that (Ward) slapped her in the face, strangled her and threatened to kill her,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Levi Camden said during the probable cause hearing, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Camden added that the victim reported being unable to breathe before escaping.
The 49ers selected Ward in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the final draft overseen by then-head coach Jim Harbaugh. He played nine seasons in San Francisco before signing with the Texans as a free agent in 2023.
Although the 49ers had previously dealt with off-field issues involving other first-round picks like Aldon Smith and Reuben Foster, Ward had not been publicly associated with any prior legal trouble or league discipline during his career, including suspensions.
Ward is now subject to discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. That includes a potential six-game suspension, and he may also be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, which removes him from the Texans’ active roster but allows paid leave while the legal process and league investigation continue. Players on the list are not permitted to practice or play.