Texans To Play Jimmie Ward At Safety

Texans free agent acquisition Jimmie Ward will line up at safety for his new club, as Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com reports. Wilson adds that Ward’s two-year contract with Houston is worth $13MM.

Ward, a first-round pick of the 49ers in 2014, has plenty of familiarity with new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who joined San Francisco’s defensive staff in 2017 and who spent the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. Ryans, likewise, is familiar with Ward’s abilities and saw firsthand how well he performed when pressed into duty as a nickel corner in 2022.

However, prior reports had indicated that Ward would want to return to his natural safety position, and when the cap-conscious 49ers elected to re-sign Tashaun Gipson to a one-year, $2.9MM pact, it became even more clear that Ward’s days in the Bay Area were over. In speaking with reporters at last week’s owners meetings, Ryans praised Ward’s versatility but indicated that the Northern Illinois product would play safety.

“Jimmie has been very fun to work with because he’s jumped into that nickel role, and he thrived in the role, made probably more plays than he’s made playing safety, so Jimmie can play anywhere,” Ryans said. “But I’m going to play him at safety.”

Indeed, Ward set a career high with three interceptions in 2022, all of which he recorded over a six-game span beginning from Week 10 to Week 15. Even if he cannot replicate that same level of playmaking production with the Texans, though, Ryans values what the 10th-year pro brings to the table from a culture standpoint and what he will be able to impart to the team’s young defensive backs like Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre (Ward’s presumptive running mate at safety).

Although the Texans largely struggled in 2022, the team did finish in the top-10 in passing defense and in takeaways, so there is a foundation for Ryans to work with as he seeks to return the club with which he once starred as a player to contention. Ward, meanwhile, was happy to join a rebuilding effort in exchange for a familiar scheme and the chance to play his preferred position.