Last year, the Texans signed defensive end Danielle Hunter to a two-year contract. With one year done, they’ve added another.
Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Media: “The #Texans and Danielle Hunter have agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension that makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive end, per sources. Hunter will make $32M this season — a $12.5M raise — and $55.1M ($54.1M fully guaranteed) over the next two seasons. Deal negotiated by @ZekeSandhu
of @KlutchSports.”
.
As we know, it’s not really a one-year extension. It’s a new, two-year contract. Hunter was due to make $19.5 million in 2025. He’ll now make $55.1 million over the next two years, an average of $27.55 million per year.
Calling Hunter the second highest-paid defensive end is technically accurate under the phony-baloney new-money average, but it’s also a tad disingenuous. Maxx Crosby, at $35.5 million in new-money average on his latest deal, will make $64 million over the next two years, nearly $9 million more than what Hunter will make. Crosby also has a practical guarantee of $91.5 million, $37.4 million more than Hunter. Crosby’s deal is objectively superior to Hunter’s.
But, again, the rules of #scooptown are unflinching. Thou shalt hype the new-money average. (Also, thou shalt specifically grease the agent who did the deal — and who provided the information.)
Hunter had 12.0 sacks for the Texans in 2024. He has 99.5 career sacks. The Texans were clearly happy with his performance, and they were willing to adjust his contract.
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