NFL Cancels Preseason Game Between Cowboys and Texans
On Wednesday, the NFL announced the cancellation of the final preseason game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans that was scheduled to take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The game, which was supposed to be played on Thursday, was cancelled because the Texans can return home sooner than expected after staying in Dallas while Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston.
The Texans issued a statement on Wednesday saying they will drive home after finding a safe route to travel.
“At this time, the priority of our organization is getting our players, coaches and staff back home to be reunited with their families, many of whom have been evacuated from their homes and are currently sheltered. The team feels it is imperative to get back home to help the Houston community recover from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey,” the team said.
There were also discussions about whether to cancel the Thursday night game between the Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints as remnants of the storm heads towards Louisiana. However, the Saints have announced that the game will go on as scheduled.
Tickets for the game between the Cowboys and Texans went on sale on Tuesday with the proceeds going to the hurricane relief fund. Fans can request a refund and if they don’t, the money will still go to the relief fund.
The game had initially been moved from NRG Stadium in Houston because of the flooding in Houston, but with players and team staff not having seen their families throughout the storm, playing an exhibition game didn’t seem to make much sense.
“I think there’s more important things than football right now,” Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee said. “Houston being able to get home and see their families is a big deal.”
“I know that they’re probably anxious to get home and see their families and just assess the situation,” said Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. “I said it a couple days ago, but this is bigger than football.”