While the Houston Texans exploring the possibility of a new stadium might seem like an ill-advised move, it’s honestly right on cue compared to other locations around the NFL.
After opening in 2002, NRG Stadium has mostly remained untouched over the past two decades. Sure, a rebranding happened from Reliant to NRG, but a majority of the internal moves made have been minor at best.
Since the Texans became the league’s “newest” franchise under the McNair family, 12 other teams have moved into new stadiums. Ten new stadiums have been built over the last 22 years, including three locations from San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland to the Los Angeles and Las Vegas, respecitvley.
The Chargers and Rams call SoFi Stadium home out west while the Giants and Jets share MetLife Stadium outside of the New York City limits in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Houston’s lease with NRG Stadium expires in 2032. At that point, there will only be five stadiums older than NRG since the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to move before the 2027 season begins.
The Texans might end up renewing the lease for another decade, but the only way conversations will start there is if the team can massively renovate the complex. A projected price would be anywhere between $500 million to $1 billion and likely would take a full year of renovations, if not longer.
To see where NRG Stadium stacks up in the league, here’s a look at the age of each NFL stadium and the last time each venue saw an significant overhaul of upgrades.