Jimmie Ward is about to stay in Houston beyond the approaching campaign. The veteran safety has a one-year extension in place, as first reported by ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime.
Ward will now be under contract through the 2025 season. The 33-year-old made his Texans debut last season, the primary of DeMeco Ryans’ tenure as head coach. Now, the pair will proceed their relationship in Houston after several years together in San Francisco.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details this agreement will include as much as $5.25MM in recent money. Ward’s guaranteed compensation across the 2024 and ’25 seasons now sits at $8.75MM.
Since entering the league in 2014, Ward has been a mainstay on defense. His nine-year 49ers tenure included 79 starts in 116 appearances. The previous first-rounder struggled with injuries in 2022, a 12 months which he figured can be his final one within the Bay Area. Ryans invited him to sign with whichever team hired him as head coach, though, and that got here to fruition in Houston. Team and player agreed to a two-year, $13MM pact and – after seeing a while within the slot – Ward returned to safety upon arrival with the Texans.
The Northern Illinois product was limited to 10 games last season, but when on the sphere he served as a starter. Ward logged a 73% defensive snap share, a figure wanting his usage during lots of his 49er years but a step up from the 2022 campaign. He recorded one interception and three pass deflections while not allowing a touchdown as the closest defender in coverage. That level of play has earned him one other short-term commitment.
Ward will proceed handling a starter’s workload in a security room which also includes fellow veteran Eric Murray along with third-round rookie Calen Bullock. 2022 second-rounder Jalen Pitre has previously played at safety, but Houston is using him at slot corner this offseason. No matter how that move works out, Ward will proceed to be counted on for a minimum of the following two years.
