Social media reacts to the passing of Texans co-founder, senior chair Janice McNair
The First Lady of the Houston Texans has passed away.
The Texans announced Tuesday that Janice McNair, the wife of the late Bob McNair and co-founder of the Texans, died Tuesday of natural causes.
She was 89.
“Mom was exceptional. She exuded kindness, radiated joy, had an endless amount of hope and love, and lived an incredible life centered around faith, family, philanthropy and football,” Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “It’s impossible to describe the profound gratitude that my sisters, Ruth and Melissa, and I feel for having her as our mom. Outside of our family, nothing mattered more to her than her beloved Texans. I remain honored to lead this franchise and build on the foundation my parents set when they brought football back to Houston. Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team and our community, and her giving spirit will always be embedded in the fabric of our organization. While I’m heartbroken, I take great comfort in knowing she is now reunited with my dad, her favorite teammate.”
Moving to Houston in 1960, Janice and Bob raised four children and were responsible for bringing football back to the city after Bud Adams moved the Oilers to Tennessee in 1997. In 1998, the McNairs spent $700 million in 1998 to purchase an expansion franchise, making Houston the 32nd NFL team in league history.
Fans and colleagues across the league paid their respects on Tuesday following the team’s announcement.
“Mom leaves an indelible mark on our family, our team, and our community…” pic.twitter.com/dH3KOrMrKT
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) July 14, 2026
Houston Texans Co-Founder and Senior Chair Janice S. McNair has passed away peacefully at the age of 89.
According to the team, Mrs. McNair passed away in Houston this afternoon surrounded by her family. A true pillar of the Houston community and the matriarch of the Texans… pic.twitter.com/2XJ2d9yK1P
— FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) July 14, 2026
Statements from #Texans Cal McNair, Hannah McNair, DeMeco Ryans, Nick Caserio and Mike Tomon.
Cal McNair: “Mom was exceptional. She exuded kindness, radiated joy, had an endless amount of hope and love, and lived an incredible life centered around faith, family, philanthropy and… https://t.co/y275hqpv7a
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 14, 2026
I’m so sorry to hear about Janice McNair’s death today. She was the Texans’ co-founder, an extraordinary woman with a rare combination of class and dignity. She and her late husband, Bob, have meant so much to the Houston area for decades. Their charitable contributions were…
— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) July 14, 2026
Janice McNair meant a lot to so many Houstonians. I’m deeply grateful she saw in her time on earth the work DeMeco Ryans was doing and witnessed the #Texans first Hall of Famer in Andre Johnson. She wanted the best for us all. So many kind, encouraging stories. ❤️🌺🙏 https://t.co/1BahUfRZ6V
— Stephanie Stradley (@StephStradley) July 14, 2026
Houston Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice S. McNair has died at age 89, the team announced. pic.twitter.com/R3XESlYeBO
— Yahoo Sports NFL (@YahooSportsNFL) July 14, 2026
Rest in peace to Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice McNair 🙏 pic.twitter.com/f4YD3L81to
— Coy (@WickedCoy) July 14, 2026
Mrs. McNair was one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met.
She loved the team and the city…and I know the players respected her greatly.
She and Bob are back together again. RIP. https://t.co/BsICWkL7yQ
— Daniel Gotera (@DTGotera) July 14, 2026
RIP Janice McNair 🙏❤️ https://t.co/9MQ92yMkj2
— Nick Schwager (@nick__schwager) July 14, 2026
Man. RIP. Condolences to the McNair family. https://t.co/5jqRUI0Lx1
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) July 14, 2026
REST IN PEACE.
You and your husband brought NFL football back to Houston. That’s worthy of a statue in my book. https://t.co/VkbpYcZVnd
— 𝐴 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑛 (@NotWhoYouDream) July 14, 2026
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Social media reacts to the passing of Texans co-founder, senior chair Janice McNair
