As the Houston Texans take the field Thursday night for the start of the NFL preseason, it will not only mark the first game of the new year.
Thursday will also mark the first time Houston has strapped up since the passing of Janice McNair. The franchise’s co-founder, former senior chair and matriarch of the McNair family, died last month at just 89 years old.
Naturally, there will be tributes throughout the preseason as the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders come to town, but Houston plans on doing more to honor the woman who helped in bringing football back to the city. The team plans to wear a patch on their jerseys and a sticker on the helmets.
According to the Houston Chronicle, there also will be markings on the field honoring her and her husband Bob McNair, who previously passed away in 2018. Before Thursday’s preseason game, the Texans also plan to have a moment of silence to pay respect to Janice McNair.
The team also has a banner inside of their practice facility that reads, “Mrs. McNair, always in our hearts” along with her initials “JSM.”
“Janice McNair was a woman of extraordinary generosity, grace and faith, whose impact on the Houston community and the NFL will be felt for generations,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Alongside Bob, she helped bring the NFL back to her beloved Houston and played an essential role in building the Texans into an organization that reflects the values held dear — service, integrity, and commitment to community.”
Janice McNair became the team’s principal owner following Bob’s death and remained in that role until their son, Cal McNair, took the reins in 2024. She was also inducted into the Texans’ Ring of Honor last year, joining Bob McNair, three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and Hall of Fame wide receiver Andre Johnson.
Football returned to Houston in 2002 after Bob and Janice McNair bought the expansion rights for the Texans’ franchise in 1999 after Bud Adams moved the Oilers to Tennessee in 1997.
When the Texans kick off against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13, it will mark the beginning of the team’s 25th season.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans plan to honor Janice McNair with patches, stickers on helmets through 2026 season
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cole Thompson, Texans Wire | USA TODAY Network
