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Add the Houston Texans to the list of teams that used their home game during the NFL’s Week 2 schedule to pause for a pregame moment of silence, although the team’s effort before the Monday Night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not mention Charlie Kirk.
Texans Honor ‘All The Victims’
Detailed view of a Houston Texans helmet against the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Wild Card at NRG Stadium on Jan. 5, 2019. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)
At approximately 6:40 p.m. ET or about 20 minutes prior to kickoff the Texans broadcast this message over their stadium public address at NRG Stadium:
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are asking all families to join us in a moment of silence to honor all the victims of violence and natural disasters across the country.
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“It’s our hope that together, we condemn all forms of violence. Thank you.”
The pause in the pregame program lasted 10 seconds. It was broadcast on ESPN.
OutKick earlier asked the Texans if they planned to have any sort of pregame moment of silence for Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who was slain last week.
Texans Didn’t Wish To Minimize Anyone
The video board shows a tribute to Charlie Kirk prior to a game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Seven other NFL teams hosting home games elected to have such moments of silence or reflection. Five had decided not to have moments of silence that mentioned Kirk.
Those home teams made their own decisions about what to do relative to Kirk. The NFL, meanwhile, decided to do a league-mandated moment of silent reflection prior the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field.
The Texans sent an explanation to OutKick as to why Kirk’s name was not mentioned.
“We held a moment of silence pregame to honor all victims of violence and natural disasters across the country,” the club said in a statement. “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.”
So obviously the Texans would argue they addressed the Kirk assassination although, you know, they didn’t address the Kirk assassination by name.
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Dallas Cowboys Did It Right
A general view of a message in memory of Charlie Kirk is shown on the video board before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025. (Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images)
It should be noted that the Dallas Cowboys, the other NFL club in Texas, absolutely held a pregame tribute for Kirk. And club owner Jerry Jones explained his thinking on the matter afterward.
There is one remaining NFL game left on the schedule and that is the Las Vegas Raiders hosting the Los Angeles Chargers at 10 p.m.
OutKick has reached out to the Raiders to ask about their plans for a pregame moment of silence – doing it, not doing it.
Admittedly, we didn’t ask the Raiders whether they were doing it without, you know, mentioning Kirk altogether – a hybrid approach to a tribute the Texans devised Monday evening.