NFL umpire Larry Smith reported out for 2026 season

NFL umpire Larry Smith will miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering a torn quadriceps during the Houston Texans’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium, according to reporting attributed to Football Zebras editor Ben Austro. Smith was injured during the first quarter on October 18, between plays. He fell on the wet field and was unable to continue. Medical personnel attended to him before he was taken off on a cart. The game resumed without him. The diagnosis and season outlook have been attributed to Austro’s reporting, rather than confirmed in an official medical update. The NFL officiating department, through a league spokesman, declined to comment on Smith’s injury, according to one report. Specific details about treatment and recovery have not been reported. Smith’s departure left referee Shawn Hochuli’s crew with six officials for the remainder of the game. The remaining officials redistributed Smith’s duties, according to accounts of the game. The Texans won 34-31. The officiating department will need a substitute umpire for Hochuli’s crew for the rest of the season. No replacement had been announced in the reports available by October 21....