There is a new highest-paid defensive back in the NFL. The Houston Texans have given Derek Stingley Jr. that title as the two sides have agreed to a massive extension, inking the former first-round pick to a three-year, $90 million deal, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports. That also includes an eye-popping $89 million guaranteed.
Stingley, 23, was eligible for the fifth-year option this offseason that would’ve tied him to the organization through the 2026 season, but the Texans have seemingly brushed that aside with this lucrative extension.
The $30 million average annual value of the extension exceeds fellow corner Jaycee Horn, who agreed to an extension with the Carolina Panthers just last week. That deal pays Horn $25 million in AAV, which was the highest for a defensive back in league history before Stingley signed his deal.
The LSU product entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has lived up to that billing through the first three years of his career.
Stingley truly emerged as one of the league’s best corners this past season and was the face of what proved to be the best pass defense in the NFL. As a team, the Texans ranked first in the NFL, allowing the lowest completion percentage (59%) in the league, and were second in interceptions (19). For his part, Stingley totaled 54 tackles to go along with 18 pass breakups, and five interceptions through 17 games played. In coverage, he allowed opposing quarterbacks to average just a 51.2 passer rating against him.
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All that helped Stingley earn first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, and now this new contract.
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