NRG Stadium’s roof remains damaged, but the Texans will play a home preseason game there Saturday. The team expects to start the regular season before the missing roof panels are repaired.
Hurricane Beryl, a Category 1 storm, did a number on Houston last month, and it didn’t leave the stadium untouched.
“The studies on that are ongoing, and we’ll learn more as we kind of work through it,” Texans owner Cal McNair said at the start of training camp, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “There are several panels that were damaged. These things aren’t on your local shelf at the do-it-yourself Home Depot. Wonderful stores that are around. They’re special-ordered, specially made, so it’ll take a while. We’re hopeful that we’ll get them about a month into the season.”
The Texans host the Giants on Saturday followed by the Rams on Aug. 24. Their home opener is Sept. 15 against the Bears.
McNair said the retractable roof is in working condition, so the Texans could open the roof if they wanted. But considering the temperatures in Houston this time of year, it’s a virtual certainty the roof will remain closed the next six weeks.
The damage from Beryl was not as significant as that of Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm, in 2008. The Texans’ home opener that season was postponed as $5 million in repairs were made to five roof panels.