Houston just took care of one of its own.
The Texans have agreed to terms with cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on a three-year, $90 million extension that includes $89 million guaranteed, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
Stingley’s $30 million-per-year salary is the new bar for defensive backs, easily surpassing a record set by the Carolina Panthers’ Jaycee Horn ($25 million per year) only a week ago. His agent David Mulugheta of Athletes First, who constructed the deal on behalf of Stingley, now represents the three highest-paid corner backs and two highest-paid safeties.
Rather than picking up the fifth-year option on Stingley’s rookie deal by the May 1 deadline, which would have certainly been a no-brainer, the Texans chose to reward one of their best homegrown defensive players long before free agency would ever come knocking on his door.
A raw but promising player his first two seasons after joining Houston as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft, the biggest question mark about Stingley entering the 2024 campaign was injuries. He was sidelined eight games in his rookie year and six in his sophomore campaign.
Stingley put that in his rearview mirror and left behind him last season, though, playing all 17 contests and elevating his stature and play to another level to earn his first Pro Bowl nod and first All-Pro team.
Stingley, 23-year-old, was a ball hawk, coming down with five interceptions for the second consecutive year. His 18 passes defensed ranked second in the NFL, the same as his 84.4 PFF coverage grade among corners. Stingley earned such a mark in part by limiting the opposition to 42 receptions on 90 targets as the nearest defender, good for a 46.7 completion percentage and 56.9 passer rating allowed.
Stingley, most importantly, shined even brighter during the playoffs, as he added two interceptions, and another five passes defensed in the Texans’ surprise 32-12 wild card drubbing of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor as much talk as there was about quarterback C.J. Stroud and the offense at the start of last season, it was Houston’s elite defense that powered the club through any lulls on the offensive side of the ball to reach the playoffs for a second straight time.
The Texans boasted the NFL’s sixth-best total defense, which also ranked sixth against the pass and 11th versus the run.
And as good as the team’s secondary was, Houston’s best players on the back end are still growing and getting better. Stingley, who turns 24 in June, is one of the leaders of a group that consists of fellow corner Kamari Lassiter (22 years old), safety Jalen Pitre (25) and safety Calen Bullock (21). Versatile defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, still just 27, is also set to join them by way of trade from the Philadelphia Eagles.
It is a unit on the come up, and one of its stars rising fastest is now set to stay an additional three years.
