Texans hold pregame moment of silence but do not name Charlie Kirk
Team pauses to honor victims of violence and natural disasters; club says singling out one tragedy would minimize others
The Houston Texans conducted a brief pregame moment of silence at NRG Stadium on Monday but did not mention Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was killed last week.
The stadium public address announcer asked fans at approximately 6:40 p.m. ET—about 20 minutes before kickoff of the Texans' Monday Night Football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—to join "a moment of silence to honor all the victims of violence and natural disasters across the country." The pause in the pregame program lasted about 10 seconds and was carried on ESPN.
The Texans said they chose not to single out any one incident. In a statement to OutKick, the club said: "We held a moment of silence pregame to honor all victims of violence and natural disasters across the country. Unfortunately, there have been a number of recent tragedies, so we did not think it was appropriate to single any of them out and minimize the others that have occurred." OutKick had asked the Texans earlier whether they planned a specific tribute to Kirk.
Seven other NFL teams hosting home games during Week 2 held moments of silence or reflection before kickoff. Five of those clubs decided not to mention Kirk by name, and one team, the Dallas Cowboys, displayed a specific tribute to Kirk on the video board prior to their game. The NFL also held a league-mandated moment of silent reflection before the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed his club's decision to honor Kirk after the game. The remaining Week 2 game, the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, was scheduled for later Monday night; OutKick said it reached out to the Raiders about whether they planned a pregame moment of silence and whether it would name Kirk.
The Texans' choice reflects broader variation among NFL teams this week in how to respond to multiple recent tragedies while balancing calls from some outlets and fan groups to recognize specific victims. The team framed its action as a general condemnation of violence and acknowledgment of victims of natural disasters, rather than a focused memorial for any individual.
The pregame moment at NRG Stadium, though brief, was one of several gestures across NFL venues during Week 2 intended to recognize victims and reflect on recent events, even as clubs and the league differed on the scope and phrasing of their tributes.