A large piece of sheet metal fell from the roof of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas when the retractable ceiling opened before Monday night’s game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
Several reporters present, including Noah Bullard of NBC 5 DFWtook photos and videos of the fragment, which was quite large. Fortunately, the metal didn’t hit anyone when it fell from the roof, although several people in production at the stadium were reportedly nearby.
After the large piece of metal fell, stadium officials decided to close the roof. However, photographers and reporters report that a loose piece of metal is still hanging from the rafters.
No word on whether or not the other piece of metal is in danger of falling or can be removed in the coming hours. But now that an NFL game is being played — and broadcast nationally on ESPN and ABC for “Monday Night Football” — there is presumably some urgency to address the issue.
The Cowboys released a statement shortly after news of the incident circulated.
“We can confirm that a piece of metal became loose and fell onto the field (with some additional small debris) while the roof was in the process of opening,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “There have been no injuries. It is under further investigation and a decision will be made on the possibility of safely reopening the roof.”
Naturally, many fans on social media joked about the accident.
First off, that metal plate looks like it might be big enough to block the sunlight coming through the windows on the west side of the stadium. The blinding light has affected players on the field, most recently Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb.
Others joke that this could be the damage left over from Friday’s boxing event at AT&T Stadium, culminating in the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. And viewers thought technical issues with the Netflix stream were the only issue plaguing the production.
