Four days after a Montgomery County (Texas) grand jury declined to indict Jimmie Ward on a domestic violence allegation, the NFL took the Houston Texans safety off the commissioner exempt list on Monday.
However, the move doesn’t necessarily mean Ward will be playing for the Texans anytime soon.
The team put him on the physically unable to perform list on Monday in relation to his offseason foot surgery. In addition, the NFL stated that its investigation of Ward in relation to its personal-conduct policy “will remain ongoing and is not affected by this change in Ward’s roster status.”
Ward, 34, was arrested on June 12 at his home in Magnolia, Texas, and accused of third-degree felony domestic violence.
The woman involved in the alleged incident filed a lawsuit on Aug. 21 in Harris County (Texas) District Court, maintaining that she was “violently assaulted multiple times, both sexually and physically” by Ward, including in front of their 3-year-old child.
She is asking for damages of more than $20 million and accuses Ward of emotional abuse, financial manipulation, drug use and threats against her life. The lawsuit also accuses him of adultery and “violent, felonious and egregious behavior.”
The woman alleged Ward was “under the influence of methamphetamines, specifically, crystal meth,” when he slapped and choked her before forcing her into a sex act.
The civil suit is still active despite the end of the criminal proceedings against Ward, the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, told The Athletic.
Ward, 34, registered 48 tackles and two interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — in 10 games, all starts, last year. He has amassed 549 tackles, 10 interceptions — three returned for TDs — in 126 career games (99 starts) with the San Francisco 49ers (2014-22) and Houston.
