For the second time this offseason, the cornerback market has been reset. Derek Stingley Jr. has agreed to a record-breaking extension, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
This will be a three-year, $90MM pact, Schefter adds. The top of the CB market sat at $25MM annually when Jaycee Horn signed his Panthers extension last week, but Stingley has sailed past that AAV mark. The latter’s deal includes a whopping $89MM guaranteed in total, per multiple reports. Clarifying the matter of locked in compensation, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes this pact contains $63.5MM in new guarantees.
As one would expect, this agreement includes Stingley’s fifth-year option being picked up. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms the extension will begin after the 2026 option year, which is worth a fully-guaranteed $17.6MM. As a result, he will be on the books through 2029.
Several receivers have worked out monster extensions in recent years, and Ja’Marr Chase‘s new Bengals contract gives him the title of the NFL’s top earner for non-quarterbacks. Corners, by contrast, have seen their market comparatively lag behind that of the WR position. Things have now changed to an extent, however, with Patrick Surtain‘s 2024 Broncos extension setting a new bar last offseason at $24MM per year. Jalen Ramsey surpassed that total shortly thereafter, and Horn moved to the top of the pecking order just before the start of free agency this spring. Now, though, Stingley has surged well ahead of his peers.
Selected third overall in 2022, Stingley entered the league with high expectations but also injury concerns. The LSU product was limited to nine games as a rookie and 11 the following season. In his abbreviated 2023 campaign, though, Stingley showcased his potential with five interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He remained healthy for this past season, matching his pervious year’s interception total while adding another two picks and a forced fumbled in the playoffs. That production helped earn Stingley first-team All-Pro honors along with a Pro Bowl nod.
In coverage, 2024 was also a sign of what can be expected moving forward. Stingley allowed a completion percentage of just 47.1% and a passer rating of 51.2 as the nearest defender last season. If he can continue that level of play while remaining near the top of the league in ball production, this pact will prove to be a worthwhile investment on the team’s part while setting Stingley up for another payday in his 20s.
2025 represented the first offseason in which the 23-year-old was eligible for an extension, and he made it clear that was his target. In the wake of a healthy campaign, general manager Nick Caserio and the Texans matched Stingley’s desire to work out a massive raise early, making this situation one of the their top offseason priorities. In cases such as this one, teams often pick up a player’s fifth-year option before ultimately working out a multi-year agreement in the summer. Well before the option deadline (in May), though, Houston has already authorized a massive commitment in the secondary.
The Texans ranked sixth against the pass in 2024, with Stingley and second-round rookie Kamari Lassiter forming a highly effective tandem. Both will remain in the fold for the foreseeable future with Lassiter having another three years on his rookie contract. Houston also has Will Anderson on the books for years to come, while fellow edge rusher Danielle Hunter would welcome an extension after signing a two-year deal in free agency last offseason. Working out an agreement on that front would keep the Texans’ nucleus intact as the team looks to move past the divisional round.
Just as the Horn deal no doubt helped Stingley’s leverage in contract talks, this mega-extension will raise the bar for other corners seeking a raise from their rookie deals. The likes of Sauce Gardner (Jets) and Trent McDuffie (Chiefs) are both 2022 draft alums, meaning they too can ink a new pact at any time. Their asking price will take into account the major spike at the top of the market which has now taken place.
