The Houston Texans are pulling red socks out of storage. On Sunday at Reliant Stadium, the team will take the field against the Dallas Cowboys in white jerseys, blue pants and red socks, paired with retro-style end zones painted blue with white lettering and no team logo, all in tribute to the franchise's 19-10 inaugural-game win over Dallas back on September 8, 2002.
The throwback look, first reported by the Houston Chronicle, mirrors exactly what the Texans wore in that 2002 opener: white jerseys, blue pants and red socks. NFL uniform rules bar teams from wearing a complete historical replica, so the Texans have leaned on the elements they are allowed to bring back. The franchise has already used its full NFL allotment of five different uniforms this season, according to the same report.
That 2002 victory carries real historical weight. It made Houston the first NFL expansion team to win its inaugural franchise game since the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears in 1961, a distinction detailed in the Texas State Historical Association's handbook entry on the team. Then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue reportedly dubbed the 2002 matchup the Texas Super Bowl.
Red Socks Make Their Rare Return
Red socks have become an uncommon sight in Houston's uniform rotation, and the team is banking on that rarity to stand out Sunday. “Fans will immediately notice the red socks,” Doug Vosik said, per the Chronicle's report. Billy Miller scored the Texans' first touchdown in that original 2002 game, a moment the team is folding into Sunday's tribute alongside the fresh coat of paint on the end zones, which will carry an updated font reflecting how the franchise's look has evolved since 2002.
The venue itself ties back to that original matchup too. Harris County venue administrators voted in April 2026 to restore the stadium's original name, Reliant Stadium, replacing the NRG Stadium moniker in time for the Texans' 25th season, as Hoodline previously reported. An NRG Consumer survey found roughly 90 percent of local respondents backed the switch back to Reliant. That means Sunday's game returns to the same stadium name under which the 2002 opener was played.
Halftime Show Brings Back More Than 50 Alumni
Houston is also staging a halftime tribute show built around the anniversary, featuring a video covering the franchise's greatest moments and more than 50 former players on the field, including Billy Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Arian Foster and Brian Cushing. Former head coach Gary Kubiak is set to take part, and J.J. Watt will contribute a prerecorded video message since he is calling the Chiefs-Raiders game in Las Vegas for CBS that day and cannot attend in person. “The tribute will feature faces fans have not seen in a while,” Vosik said, according to the Chronicle's report.
The Texans are also giving away an acrylic double-sided commemorative ticket while supplies last, combining a replica of the original 2002 Texans-Cowboys ticket with a mock-up of Sunday's game ticket. The team has unveiled a webpage featuring a 2002-themed internet design to match the promotion. “We go big because the team turns 25 only once,” Vosik said.
A Rivalry With History on Both Sides
Rookie quarterback David Carr, the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft, threw two touchdown passes in that inaugural win. Carr remains a fixture of that original 2002 roster being honored this weekend.
In the series overall, the Cowboys still hold a 4-3 regular-season edge over the Texans, though Houston won the two teams' most recent meeting 34-10 in November 2024, per Champs or Chumps. The two franchises have never met in the NFL postseason. Bob McNair paid a then-record $700 million expansion fee in October 1999 to bring the Texans into existence, restoring pro football to Houston five years after the Oilers relocated to Tennessee.
The throwback game is one piece of a season-long celebration. In June, the Texans unveiled a special 25th-season jersey patch featuring the number 25 over a silhouette of Texas. Later this season, the team is set to debut a separate HOUSTON/US Rivalries uniform with white helmets and design accents drawn from local street tiles and car culture for a Week 11 game against Indianapolis.
