Robert Cary McNair Jr., the son of Janice McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, has initiated a legal battle against the NFL, seeking $60 million. He claims that the league has made a “deliberate effort to silence” his inquiries, according to court filings.
The complaint suggests that McNair Jr. was pushed out of the family businesses due to his probing questions regarding the NFL’s management during two notable player controversies, as detailed in documents submitted to the Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday.
“Cary McNair’s inquiries into potential NFL player scandals—questions that could reflect critically on the league and its governance—led to efforts by the NFL to suppress his voice,” McNair states in the legal summons preceding his lawsuit.
Details of when McNair, 66, was relieved of his business duties remain unspecified.
In 2021, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson drew significant media attention following multiple allegations of sexual assault, resulting in 22 civil lawsuits. In 2023, minority owner Javier Loya faced rape charges in Kentucky. These charges were subsequently dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
McNair Jr. contends that the NFL sought to curb his inquiries by restructuring the family’s business operations and trust. This led to his brother, Cal McNair, taking over as the Owner’s Representative, while Cary McNair was pushed out of his roles and employment within the family enterprises.
Following this, he asserts that he was “excluded from any significant management role with McNair-associated entities, effectively stripping him of any influence over NFL-related matters,” as per court documents.
Last year, McNair Jr. made headlines when he aimed to have his mother, Janice, 88—who co-founded and serves as senior chair of the Texans—declared incapacitated.
However, he withdrew this legal action in November after a Houston judge declined to mandate a mental capacity evaluation for his mother, as reported.
The McNair family’s net worth exceeds $7.3 billion, largely due to Robert McNair’s lucrative sale of his power company, Cogen Technologies, to Enron for $1.5 billion in 1999.
Robert McNair, who passed away in 2018 at 81, established the Texans with a $600 million bid in 1999.
After her husband’s death, Janice inherited the team, while their son Cal is currently the chairman and CEO. The family also operates McNair Interests, with Cary Jr. having previously served as CEO.
Recently, McNair Jr. faced claims in a November 2023 lawsuit accusing him of breaching his fiduciary duties to the family businesses by secretly entering into employment agreements without board approval.
According to his attorney, Tony Buzbee, this case is currently on hold. Buzbee dismissed the accusations against McNair Jr. as baseless and indicated that more information regarding his client’s lawsuit against the NFL will be disclosed next week.
“He raised concerns that anyone with oversight responsibility would raise,” Buzbee stated regarding McNair Jr.’s lawsuit against the NFL, “but he was silenced through his removal.”
Requests for comments from the NFL, McNair Interests, and the Houston Texans have not yet received a response.
