Houston Texans

Bob McNair began his campaign to bring the NFL back to Houston in 1997, including plans for a retractable-roof stadium. After Los Angeles failed to finalize its ownership and stadium arrangements within the league’s timetable, owners voted 29–0 on October 6, 1999, to award Houston an expansion franchise for $700 million.⁠[1]

Charley Casserly became executive vice president and general manager in January 2000. The Houston Texans name, colors and logo were unveiled on September 6, 2000, and Dom Capers was hired as the first head coach in January 2001.⁠[1]

Houston assembled its roster through the expansion draft and selected quarterback David Carr in the 2002 NFL Draft. On September 8, the Texans beat the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL), competing in the NFC East. Their home is AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and their headquarters are at The Star in Frisco. Founded by Clint Murchison Jr. and Bedford Wynne, the team was approved by the NFL as its 13th franchise on January 28, 1960. It was sold to a partnership led by Bum Bright (H.R. Bright) in 1984 and acquired by Jerry Jones in 1989. The Cowboys have won five Super Bowls: VI (1972), XII (1978), XXVII (1993), XXVIII (1994) and XXX (1996).Open the full entry 19–10 at Reliant Stadium in their first regular-season game.⁠[2]

Gary Kubiak became head coach in 2006. The Texans hired defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and drafted J.J. Watt in 2011. Houston won its first playoff game against the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are an NFL professional American football team founded under Paul Brown’s leadership. Awarded an AFL franchise in 1967, they began play in 1968. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Bengals play at Paycor Stadium and won AFC championships in the 1981, 1988 and 2021 seasons.Open the full entry on January 7, 2012, then finished the 2012 regular season 12–4.⁠[2]

The Texans appeared on Hard Knocks in 2015. Andre Johnson became the first member of the team’s Ring of Honor in 2017, while J.J. Watt received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for the 2017 season after his Hurricane Harvey relief work. Founder Robert C. McNair died in 2018 and entered the Ring of Honor the following year.⁠[2]

DeMeco Ryans was appointed the franchise’s sixth head coach on January 31, 2023. Houston drafted C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. that year, won the AFC South and earned its first playoff berth since 2019. It became the first NFL team to win a division with a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback.⁠[3][2]

NFL owners approved Cal McNair as the Texans’ principal owner, succeeding his mother, Janice McNair, who had held that role since 2018.⁠[4]

Houston unveiled its first comprehensive uniform redesign in April 2024, and Andre Johnson became the first Texans player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame that August. The team finished the 2025 regular season 12–5 and earned its first road playoff victory on January 12, 2026.⁠[2]

The home stadium used the NRG Stadium name from 2014 until August 2026, when it returned to its original name, Reliant Stadium. The surrounding complex resumed the Reliant Park name on August 1, 2026. The stadium remains at 1 NRG Parkway in Houston.⁠[5]

The Texans play in Houston, Texas, at the venue now called Reliant Stadium. They are the expansion franchise awarded in 1999, distinct from the earlier Oilers franchise that left Houston.⁠[1][5]

Houston Texans: Official website: https://www.houstontexans.com/ (opens in a new window) .⁠[6]

Houston Texans: X: https://x.com/HoustonTexans (opens in a new window) .⁠[6]

Houston Texans: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/@HoustonTexans (opens in a new window) .⁠[6]

Houston Texans: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/houston-texans/ (opens in a new window) .⁠[7]