An employee of NRG Stadium has been charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year-old boy during a Texans game.
Via Click2Houston.com, 21-year-old Ushay Nixon is charged with indecency with a child by exposure, and attempted aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14. The incident has also resulted in a lawsuit.
The incident occurred during the December 14 Cardinals-Texans game. The child had been escorted to the men’s restroom by his mother, who waited outside.
After the boy had used the facility, Nixon allegedly approached him. “He said he was washing his hands and that an employee approached him and told him to go into a stall,” the boy’s mother said. “And my son said, ‘I trusted him because he was a worker.’”
In the stall, Nixon allegedly locked the door and removed the child’s pants and underwear. The child became frightened and ran out of the stall, leaving the restroom.
Back at their seats, a bystander approached the boy’s mother, saying he had seen her son with an adult in the restroom and that the interaction “didn’t look right,” according to the lawsuit.
The boy and his father returned to the restroom. When the boy identified Nixon, he hid inside a storage closet, per USA Today.
Nixon later told police he’d asked the boy if he wanted to see Nixon’s Pokémon card collection, and that the boy became scared and ran away.
According to court records cited by Click2Houston.com, Nixon previously was charged with indecency with a child by exposure and indecent assault. The lawsuit, filed against Nixon, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, and ASM Global Parent Inc., accuses Aramark of failing to exercise reasonable care when hiring Nixon.
“We are aware of this very disturbing situation,” Aramark said in a statement. “The person in question is no longer employed with our organization, and we are fully cooperating with the authorities on their investigation.”
ASM Global, now known as Legends Global, manages the NRG Stadium facility. Neither NRG Stadium nor the Texans have been sued.
Nixon reportedly remains in custody, on $650,000 bond.
Texans Clips
Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson remains in the mix for the Eagles offensive coordinator job.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that Johnson had a second interview with the team on Thursday.
Johnson has been coaching the quarterbacks in Houston for the last three seasons. He previously worked for the Vikings, Colts, and 49ers and does not have any experience as a coordinator at this point in his career.
Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion have also spoken to the team multiple times. A number of other candidates have also been on the radar, although some have moved on to other jobs as the Eagles have spent most of the last month trying to find the right fit for their offense.
With president of football Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski in place, the Falcons are moving toward finding the next member of their new regime.
According to multiple reports, Bears assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham and Texans assistant General Manager James Liipfert will both have second interviews for Atlanta’s General Manager vacancy this week.
Cunningham had interviewed for the president of football job that went to Ryan. He’s been in the mix for several G.M. jobs over the last few offseasons.
Liipfert interviewed with the Falcons for their G.M. job last week.
Atlanta is replacing Terry Fontenot, who spent five seasons in the role.
The NFL named Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock to the Pro Bowl Games on Monday, the team announced.
Both players were first alternates.
Lassiter replaces Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who is unavailable after his team won the AFC title, and Bullock will fill in for Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey.
Lassiter and Bullock join teammates Derek Stingley Jr., Nico Collins, Azeez Al-Shaair and Will Anderson Jr. on the Pro Bowl Games roster.
The Texans ranked sixth in pass defense this season and first in total defense.
Lassiter totaled 91 tackles, four interceptions and 17 passes defensed.
Bullock intercepted four passes during the regular season and had another in the playoffs. He totaled 64 tackles, one forced fumble and 10 passes defensed.
The Eagles’ search for a new offensive coordinator is set to add another candidate.
Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com reports that they are set to interview Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for the position on Nick Sirianni’s staff. Johnson also spoke to the team in 2024, but they wound up hiring Kellen Moore at that time.
Moore spent a year in the job and parlayed a Super Bowl win into the Saints’ head coaching job. Kevin Patullo called the offensive plays in 2025, but was relieved of those duties after the team’s playoff loss to the 49ers.
Johnson has been the quarterbacks coach in Houston since 2023. He has never held a coordinator position.
Robert Saleh is the new head coach in Tennessee and he’s getting to work on filling out the Titans’ coaching staff.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the team is interviewing Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso for their defensive coordinator job.
Vasso has spent the last five seasons on Houston’s staff. DeMeco Ryans has been the head coach for the last three of those seasons and Ryans was a linebackers coach under Saleh with the 49ers earlier in his career.
Vasso has also coached for the Eagles and Chiefs since entering the NFL ranks in 2013.
The defensive coordinator spot is an important one, but the biggest hire Saleh will make to his staff will be on the other side of the ball. Developing quarterback Cam Ward will be vital to any hopes Saleh has of success in Tennessee, so the offensive coordinator hire will be a significant one.
The Falcons announced the completion of an interview with a General Manager candidate on Thursday.
They have met with Texans assistant GM James Liipfert. It is the first interview that the Falcons have announced for the position.
Liipfert has been with the Texans since 2018 and was promoted to his current position last year. He was previously the director of college scouting and he worked with Texans GM Nick Caserio while in the Patriots’ organization from 2009-2017.
The Falcons have also requested interviews with Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham and 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams.
The Patriots have become a great team again, and they helped create a great number during Sunday afternoon’s division-round game against the Texans.
An average audience of 37.9 million tuned in for the game between Houston and New England on ESPN and ABC.
It’s the biggest number for any ABC sporting event, other than a Super Bowl. It was also the best for any show televised by ABC since 2014.
The 37.9 million figure matches the audience from last year’s Rams-Eagles Sunday afternoon game. Which makes it, essentially, a drop; the new Nielsen Big Data + Panel has been contributing to a goosing of NFL audience measurements.
The four divisional-round games (39.597 million for Broncos-Bills, 32 million for 49ers-Seahawks, 37.9 million for Texans-Patriots, 45.4 million for Rams-Bears) had an average audience of 38.7 million.
The Dolphins are taking a look at an AFC South assistant for their offensive coordinator role under new head coach Jeff Hafley.
Via Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com, Miami has put in a request to interview Houston quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson for the role.
Johnson, 37, has been the Texans’ quarterbacks coach since 2023. That season, he helped C.J. Stroud win AP offensive rookie of the year.
Johnson has also spent time with the 49ers, Colts, and Vikings.
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is expected to be named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year after breaking the league record for sacks in a season. Sacking the quarterback is what every nominee for the award does best.
The NFL announced the five finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year, and all five are edge rushers.
In addition to Garrett, the finalists are Houston’s Will Anderson, Denver’s Nik Bonitto, Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson and Green Bay’s Micah Parsons.
Garrett had 23 sacks, Hutchinson had 14.5, Bonitto had 14, Parsons had 12.5 and Anderson had 12.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and he’s a rare winner from the secondary, as pass rushers win the award. In fact, this year’s finalists are so heavily skewed toward edge rushers that it’s fair to question whether enough voters are fully considering every defensive player, or simply filling out their ballots with five famous pass rushers.
The same panel of Associated Press voters who vote on the Defensive Player of the Year also choose the All-Pro team, and oddly that panel ranked Hutchinson sixth and Bonitto seventh among pass rushers. It’s odd, to say the least, to think Hutchinson and Bonitto are not among the Top 5 players at their position, but are among the Top 5 defensive players in the entire league.
We’re nearly certain the Defensive Player of the Year will be Garrett, and we’ll find out for sure at the NFL Honors. We can say for sure who it won’t be: Any interior defensive lineman, inside linebacker, cornerback or safety.
