11-year NFL veteran Jimmie Ward was arrested early Thursday morning inside his Texas home after disturbing reports of domestic violence.
Ward, who spent nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers from 2014-2022, was detained at approximately 5:38 a.m. local time and charged with felony counts of assaulting a family member and impeding breathing/circulation.
TMZ Sports reports that the former first-round draft pick had strangled his fiancée.
Ward, 33, currently plays safety for the Houston Texans, and would be entering his third season with the franchise in 2025. Prior to his arrest, however, he had not practiced much with the team as he recovers from offseason foot surgery.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office released a statement shortly after Ward's arrest.
"Upon arrival," the MCSO said, "deputies made contact with the victim, who alleged she had been assaulted, strangled and threatened by her fiancé," who cops ID'ed as Ward.
"Based on the information and statements provided during the investigation," the MCSO said, "Ward was taken into custody without further incident."
The situation remains under investigation by the MCSO as an emergency protective order against Ward has been filed "at the victim's request."
The Texans have released a statement regarding the matter to The Houston Chronicle:
“We are aware of the report involving Jimmie Ward,” the Texans said in a statement. “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
In his two years in Houston, Ward has started 20 games and recorded three interceptions. He's currently under contract with the team through this season.
The former No. 30 overall pick was well liked by then 49ers head coach John Harbaugh after a standout career at Northern Illinois.
He signed with the Texans as a free agent in 2023 on a two-year $13 million contract, then signed an extension with the club through this season worth $10.5 million.
With the 49ers, Ward was fined three times by the NFL totaling over $59,000.
Ward dealt with numerous injuries during his Niners tenure, but his best season came in 2021 where he made two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 77 tackles.