The Texans awarded Derek Stingley with the richest contract for a cornerback in NFL history after another elite season.
On Monday morning, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Texans are signing cornerback Derek Stingley to a historic three-year, $90 million contract extension, including $89 million guaranteed. The $30 million APY makes Stingley the highest paid defensive back in NFL history and shatters the previous high of APY for cornerbacks, most recently held by the Panthers’ Jaycee Horn ($25 million APY).
Record deal: Texans All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr has agreed to a three-year, $90 million extension including $89 million guaranteed. At $30M base value per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history. The CB market has been completely reset.
Deal… pic.twitter.com/g8nzFFFQvj
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2025
The move to extend Stingley has come following his best season yet in the NFL. In 2024, the former third-overall pick in 2022 recorded five interceptions (second time in as many seasons, sixth-most in 2024) to go with a career-high 18 pass breakups (second-most in 2024), 54 tackles, and four tackles for loss en route to being named a First-Team All-Pro on top of earning his first nod to the Pro Bowl Games.
In three seasons with the Texans, Stingley has 11 interceptions and 36 pass breakups while starting all 37 games he’s played in. After logging just five pass breakups and one pick in his rookie season (nine games), Stingley has notched 10 picks and a whopping 31 passes defensed over the past two seasons.
This past campaign, Stingley allowed the second-lowest completion percentage on targets thrown his way (46.7 percent) among cornerbacks to play at least 200 coverage snaps, per Next Gen Stats. As a cornerback who would following many of the elite wide receivers in the NFL, his gaudy numbers become even more impressive.
Now, Stingley will continue leading one of the best pass defenses in the NFL for the foreseeable future.