clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Houston Texans Considering New Playing Surface For Field At NRG Stadium

The Texans are reportedly researching the costs for a new playing surface at NRG Stadium.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

For thirteen consecutive seasons, the Houston Texans' home field consisted of a complex system of trays that provided a natural grass playing surface.  Throughout that time, there have been mixed opinions from coaches, players, fans, and others about whether or not several injuries were the result of uneven areas created by the seams between the trays.

Here is a recap some of the most high-profile non-contact injuries that "may" have been the result of that surface:

Wes WelkerSuffered an ACL injury when he hit a seam between two pallets.

Brian Cushing - Knee and hamstring injury when he hit a "floppy" corner.

Andre Johnson - Slipped in stride and pulled a hamstring in 2011; missed SEVEN games.

Brett Hartmann - Completely destroyed his ACL while running after a punt, ending his NFL career.

Jadeveon Clowney - Torn lateral meniscus in his first regular season NFL game.

The Texans elected to install an artificial turf for the bulk of the 2015 season, and now reports are coming out that they are in the market for a new artificial surface.

NRG Stadium will host the next Super Bowl, and obviously Houston is doing quite a bit to make improvements in anticipation of that big event.