Slick grass at Wembley Stadium has beeen just as much a risk for the officials as it is for the players.
During the first quarter of the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans game in London, umpire Larry Smith slipped, stumbled backward and fell on the wet playing surface. Smith managed to get back on his feet, but after taking a couple of steps, he fell back down with an apparent leg injury and in clear pain.
The official got medical attention from both teams' training staffs while down on the field before he was eventually carted off. The remaining officiating crew shifted to a six-man setup, down from the original seven officials, meaning Smith's responsibilities as umpire were re-allocated elsewhere.
An NFL ref went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter of the Texans-Jaguars game in London. Bob Wischusen on the call for NFL Network. https://t.co/PSVjPgVEKt
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2026
