Texans vs. Cowboys Week 4 preseason game canceled

The final preseason game between the Texans and Cowboys has been canceled, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport. It would have been a home game for the Texans, but was being relocated to AT&T Stadium in Dallas due to the destruction in Houston from Hurricane Harvey.

The Texans released a statement Wednesday saying that the decision was made to return to Houston after authorities found a safe route for the team to travel.

“At this time, the priority of our organization is getting our players, coaches and staff home to be reunited with their families, many of whom have been evacuated from their homes and are currently sheltered,” the statement read.

Texans owner Robert McNair and his family will make a donation to recovery efforts that is equal to the revenue that would have been generated by ticket sales for the game. Fans who purchased tickets to the game will have the option to donate the money toward relief efforts or request a refund through Ticketmaster.

What happened? The Texans flew their players and coaches directly to Dallas after the team’s Week 3 preseason game against the Saints in New Orleans because of the storm. According to Garafolo, the game is being canceled so players can get back home to their families and begin to help with the recovery efforts.

J.J. Watt began raising money to help the people of Houston, and he said that it was difficult for Texans players to be away from Houston and see the devastation at home.

“It’s very difficult, not only because we have family and friends back there,” Watt said. “Some guys have young kids. Some guys have wives and families. But that’s our city. It’s very tough to watch your city get hit by such a bad storm and not be there to help.”

Some of their teammates are still in Houston.

Ten Texans players, including wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Braxton Miller, and running backs D’Onta Foreman and Akeem Hunt, stayed behind in Houston. The team has been in close contact with them, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.

Tickets were on sale for the preseason matchup for $25 each. Proceeds were set to go to the United Way of Greater Houston Relief Fund, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.

What about Week 1? That’s up in the air at this point. The team hopes it will be able to play the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars in NRG Stadium.

“If our stadium’s ready to go, it’s important to have that game at home,” coach Bill O’Brien said, according to McClain. “Maybe it gives our fans a chance, for three hours at least, to cheer and kind of forget about the trials and tribulations of what would be the last two weeks.

The NFL could also decide to move the game to a neutral site. That’s what Major League Baseball did with the Astros-Rangers series scheduled for the week after Harvey made landfall. The series was moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.

NRG Stadium did not sustain much damage, and roads in the area are passable, according to McClain. But no decision has been made at this point about Week 1.