Texans new principal owner Cal McNair unanimously approved in league vote

The Houston Texans have a familiar face officially running the team.

The 31 other NFL owners unanimously approved Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair to take over as the team’s principal owner starting this season. He will succeed his mother, Janice, who took over after Bob McNair passed away in 2028.

McNair praised his mother’s work over the past five seasons and called her “an inspirational leader for our family, our team and our community” in a statement. He added that he’s honored to lead the franchise.

“I can’t thank her enough for the foundation she has helped build and her countless contributions both on and off the field,” McNair said in a statement, per KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson. “It’s an exciting time to be a Houston Texan and I’m honored to lead this franchise. This move ensures the long-term stability of our franchise and we will continue to operate the way we have been over the last couple years, pursuing a championship for the City of Houston while doing great things in the community and for our fans.”

Janice McNair added in the joint statement with her son that she knows Cal will do what’s best for the team and that his father and her husband would be proud of his accomplishments over the past five years.

“I’m extremely proud that Cal will continue to lead the franchise moving forward,” she said. “He has done such a terrific job as our CEO and we believe this move is what’s best for everyone involved with the organization to secure our future under Cal’s leadership. I know how pleased Bob would be to see this and our fans should be incredibly excited about the direction we are headed. I will continue to support Cal and the team in every way that I can and, of course, be rooting for us each and every week.”

McNair becomes the principal owner on the heels of an impressive season from first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. The Texans won the AFC South and a playoff game for the first time since 2019 and are the talk of the league with two NFL rookie of the years in C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. Houston made some key moves this offseason as well with the acquisition of defensive end Danielle Hunter and Joe Mixon.