The cost of tearing a towel
The Houston Texans might finally be free of the Terrible Towel curse. After Texans mascot Toro ripped a Pittsburgh Steelers rally towel following Houston's 30-6 wild-card victory on Jan. 12, things quickly went downhill.
The Texans lost 28-16 to New England in the divisional round and opened the 2026 season with four consecutive losses. But Sunday's 26-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans might have finally ended their bad luck.
Making amends and past victims
Toro appeared ready to make amends, posting a video of himself using tape and glue to piece the torn towel back together.
The Texans aren't the first team in recent memory to experience a string of misfortune after disrespecting Pittsburgh's iconic rally towel. During the 2023 season, Jacksonville Jaguars safety Andrew Wingard grabbed a Terrible Towel and waved it in celebration during a Week 8 victory over Pittsburgh. The Jaguars went 3-6 the rest of the way, missing the playoffs after a late-season collapse that also helped the Steelers secure a postseason berth.
Testing the theory
Whether Houston's victory over Tennessee officially ends the curse remains to be seen. But the Texans will have an opportunity to test the theory when they host the Steelers in Week 13. And this time, Toro might want to leave the towel intact.
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