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NFL Denies Texans' Attempt to End Training Camp Early Ahead of Preseason
August 11, 2021
The Houston Texans informed reporters Wednesday that they would end training camp and switch to "regular-season mode" on Thursday, meaning that strict media limitations on covering practice would go into effect.
However, the NFL has nixed that plan, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
As league rules state, “all daily practices must be open in their entirety to local media through Aug. 26."
Therefore, Texans reporters will be covering practices until that date, which is just two days before Houston's third and final preseason game (home vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
As McClain noted, during the regular season, "teams can limit reporters to watching a minimal amount of practice, usually just stretching and warmups," meaning that reporters would be restricted to how much they could report beginning Thursday if the Texans had their way.
McClain said that the Texans' request was an anomaly compared to previous coaches. Dom Capers and Gary Kubiak, the first head coaches in franchise history, allowed reporters to watch the entirety of practice on a consistent basis.
Limitations were imposed following Bill O'Brien's hire in 2014, although the Texans' attempted early switch to regular-season mode was a first, per McClain.
The Texans are under new leadership this year with general manager Nick Caserio running the front office and head coach David Culley patrolling the sidelines.
