Kansas City, MO – December 7, 2025. The Houston Texans were hours away from stepping into one of the NFL’s loudest and most intimidating stages — Arrowhead Stadium — when everything inside the team hotel took a sudden emotional turn.
Late Sunday afternoon, Texans officials confirmed that one of their young offensive playmakers had unexpectedly left the team after receiving a devastating phone call from home.
Witnesses said he stepped away from the team’s pregame activation period to answer his buzzing phone. When he returned, he didn’t speak a word. He just grabbed his backpack, nodded once to an assistant coach, and walked quietly toward the exit. His teammates watched in stunned silence.
That player was second-year running back Jawhar Jordan, Houston’s sixth-round pick in 2024 out of Louisville — a dynamic, explosive runner who had become a key rotational piece in Bobby Slowik’s offense and one of the most promising young backs in the AFC.
Before leaving Kansas City, Jordan shared a short but emotional message privately with teammates:
“Football can wait. My mom can’t. I need to be with her… thank you all for understanding.”
Head coach DeMeco Ryans addressed the team moments later, speaking with visible compassion.
“Family is always first. Jawhar made the right decision. We’ll play for him tonight, and he’ll have this whole organization behind him while he takes care of what matters most.”
Jordan’s sudden departure comes at a crucial moment for Houston. The Texans face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs under the national spotlight on NBC — a game that could determine early playoff positioning in the AFC. Losing a key change-of-pace runner right before kickoff adds another challenge to a Texans offense already managing injuries.
But inside the locker room, there is no frustration — only unity.
A veteran lineman summed it up quietly:
“He gives us everything he’s got every week. If he’s stepping away from a game like this, it’s because his family needs him more than we do. We’ll fight for him tonight.”
The Texans will take the field at 8:20 p.m. ET at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but they will do so with heavy hearts. For Houston, this night has become about more than football — it’s about supporting a young teammate facing the hardest moment of his life.
