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Derek Stingley Jr.

AFC Contract Details: Garrett, Stingley, Broncos, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers

March 19th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Beginning with two record-setting deals, here are the latest contract details from the AFC:

  • Myles Garrett, DE (Browns). Four years, $160MM. Garrett’s $88.8MM full guarantee consists of a $21.54MM signing bonus, fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26 and a fully guaranteed 2026 option bonus. Almost all of Garrett’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed as well, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting a $39.34MM option bonus shifts to a full guarantee no later than Day 3 of the 2026 league year. Garrett’s $21.41MM 2028 option bonus is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. Only $800K of Garrett’s $38MM 2029 base salary will be guaranteed a year out, however; Garrett’s $38MM 2030 base is nonguaranteed. The option bonuses and four void years will help keep Garrett’s cap numbers under $30MM until 2028.
  • Derek Stingley Jr., CB (Texans). Three years, $90MM. Of Stingley’s eye-popping $89MM guarantee, only $48MM is locked in at signing, Florio adds. Early protections, as in the Garrett contract, are included here as well. After fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26, Stingley will see his $20MM 2027 base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2026. That same structure is in place for 2027, with a $21MM salary moving from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed by March 2027. Stingley’s 2029 base is nonguaranteed.
  • D.J. Jones, DT (Broncos). Three years, $39MM. Jones fetched an impressive second Broncos contract. Before the team reunited him with 49ers teammates Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, Jones scored a $26MM full guarantee, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Two void years are in this Denver deal.
  • Dre Greenlaw, LB (Broncos): Three years, $31.5MM. This base value checks in a touch south of the initial reports as well. Of that sum, $11.5MM is fully guaranteed, per Spotrac. Another $2MM locks in on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, via OverTheCap, but Greenlaw’s injury trouble looks to have affected him on the market after all. A $3MM incentive package is present, and Denver can move on from the deal for less than $5MM in 2026 dead money.
  • Josh Palmer, WR (Bills). Three years, $29MM. This is south of the $36MM number initially reported. TD and yardage incentives cover $6MM, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. The ex-Charger will see $15MM fully guaranteed. Palmer’s 2025 salary is locked in, and $4.84MM of his $9.66MM 2026 base salary is as well. Another $3MM will convert from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, per OverTheCap.
  • Cody Barton, LB (Titans). Three years, $21MM. The nomadic defender will see $13.3MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Both Barton’s 2025 and ’26 salaries are guaranteed, with Wilson adding $1.5MM of his 2027 base is as well.
  • Robert Hainsey, C (Jaguars). Three years, $21MM. Hainsey will receive $10MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Of Hainsey’s $6.25MM 2026 base salary, $3MM is guaranteed at signing. The rest locks in if Hainsey is still a Jaguar by Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Eric Murray, S (Jaguars). Three years, $19.5MM. This massive Murray raise from his Texans deals brings $10MM fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Murray will see $3.5MM of his 2026 base salary locked in, while Wilson adds the rest becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the ’26 league year.
  • Marquise Brown, WR (Chiefs). One year, $6.85MM. This is down from the “up to” $11MM report, with Wilson indicating $6.5MM is guaranteed. After a season-marring injury, Brown takes a slight pay cut (after a $7MM 2024 deal).
  • Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Chargers). One year, $2.5MM. The Chargers are guaranteeing St-Juste $1MM, Wilson adds. This profiles as a flier on a four-year Washington regular, whose $1.5MM base salary is nonguaranteed.

Texans, CB Derek Stingley Jr. Agree To Record-Breaking Extension

March 17th, 2025 at 11:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Danielle Hunter Interested In Signing Extension With Texans

February 26th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Danielle Hunter inked a two-year deal with the Texans last offseason, and the veteran pass rusher is hoping to extend his stay in Houston beyond the 2025 campaign. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, Hunter is interested in signing an extension with the Texans.

[RELATED: Texans To Prioritize Extension For Derek Stingley Jr.]

Hunter is set to enter the second and final season of the two-year, $49MM deal he inked with the Texans last offseason. Following a 2024 campaign where the pass rusher added another 12 sacks to his career totals, Hunter is seeking a slight uptick in his average annual value.

Per Pauline, Hunter is eyeing an extension that will pay him more than $30MM per season. That AAV would put him in an exclusive club, as Nick Bosa is the only edge defender currently attached to a $30MM-plus annual salary. Hunter’s current $24.5MM AAV is tied for sixth among edge defenders.

Hunter overcame injury issues in 2020 and 2021 with a pair of strong final seasons in Minnesota. The long-time Vikings standout collected 26.5 sacks between the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, setting himself up for a lucrative payday last offseason. The former third-round pick didn’t crack the top of the market at his position, although he reportedly turned down more money to catch on with the Texans.

The 2025 season will represent Hunter’s age-31 campaign, and he will likely have one last chance to cash in next offseason. If Hunter has his way, he won’t have to make any tough decisions and will simply re-up with the Texans.

Hunter’s extension isn’t the only deal potential extension on Houston’s radar. We heard recently that there was mutual interest in a new deal for cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.. That extension most certainly won’t be cheap, qw Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston reports that an extension would be worth at least $25MM. There’s even a chance Stingley resets the cornerback market, which is currently topped by Jalen Ramsey’s $24.1MM average annual value and Patrick Surtain II‘s $77.5MM in total guarantees.

Texans To Prioritize Extension For Derek Stingley, Jr; Latest On Jalen Pitre

February 2nd, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Rory Parks

Texans cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. is now extension-eligible, and while he can be kept under club control through 2026 via the fifth-year option on his rookie deal – and controlled via the franchise tag beyond that – he is eyeing a new contract this offseason. The interest in such a deal is mutual, with ESPN’s Dan Graziano reporting that a Stingley extension is one of Houston’s top offseason priorities (subscription required).

Of course, an extension will not come cheap. Graziano hears an agreement between player and team could reset the CB market, which is currently topped by Jalen Ramsey’s $24.1MM average annual value and Patrick Surtain II‘s $77.5MM in total guarantees. Indeed, Graziano predicts the two sides will come to terms on a four-year, $104MM extension ($26MM AAV) with $80MM guaranteed.

If no deal is struck between now and the May 1 deadline for exercising fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders, it is a given that the Texans will pick up Stingley’s option (worth $17.2MM). Combined with his $5.43MM in 2025 pay ($1.1MM base salary, $4.33MM roster bonus), Houston could retain the 23-year-old’s services for just over $11MM per year across the next two seasons.

A record-setting contract, therefore, would be quite notable, especially in light of Stingley’s injury history. Hamstring ailments in both of his first two pro seasons limited him to 20 out of a possible 34 regular season games over that span, though he was terrific when he was on the field. He put it all together over 17 starts in 2024, with five interceptions and 18 passes defensed as part of a Houston passing defense that allowed the sixth-fewest yards in the NFL.

In 37 regular season games, Stingley has 11 interceptions and 36 passes defensed. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, he allowed 7.6 fewer receptions than expected in 2024, the second-best figure in the league among players with more than 400 coverage snaps (h/t Graziano). Pro Football Focus graded him as the fifth-best CB among 118 qualified players last season, and he yielded a miniscule 51.2 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction en route to a First Team All-Pro selection. 

By any measure, then, Stingley is one of the game’s best players at a premium position, and it stands to reason the Texans would want to lock him up for the long haul. As of the time of this writing, it sounds as if the club is willing to go to great lengths to achieve that goal.

Stingley’s secondary mate and fellow 2022 draftee, Jalen Pitre, is also extension-eligible for the first time. Because he was not a first-round selection, Pitre does not have a fifth-year option attached to his rookie deal and is therefore entering a platform campaign. His contract situation may not be as high on Houston’s offseason agenda as Stingley’s, but it would not be surprising to see Texans brass address it in some way.

Prior to a season-ending pectoral tear suffered in Week 12, Pitre was excelling as the club’s primary nickel, recording 65 tackles (six TFL), one forced fumble, one interception, and eight passes defensed while earning strong grades from PFF for both his coverage work and his run defense. His absence was noticeable down the stretch, which could help his bargaining position.

As Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 conveys, Pitre’s pectoral surgery was successful, and he is on track to participate in Houston’s offseason program. 

“I continue to learn and I continue to get better as a player,” Pitre said. “I’m just going to continue to strive to do that. I play for the Houston Texans and I play with so many great players. I’m so thankful to be here. I’m looking forward to the future.”

Derek Stingley Aiming For Texans Extension

January 22nd, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Texans cornerback Derek Stingley is looking to capitalize on his 2024 All-Pro campaign as he enters this offseason eligible for a long-term extension.

The third overall pick in 2022 struggled to stay on the field across his first two seasons with just 20 appearances, but he was excellent when healthy. He put it all together over 17 starts this season with five interceptions and 18 passes defended as part of a Houston passing defense that allowed the sixth-fewest yards in the league. He will be eligible for a long-term extension this offseason and has one year remaining on his rookie contract, plus a 2026 fifth-year option that is projected to be $17.2MM, per OverTheCap.

Stingley recently said that he wants to be in Houston “forever,” according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, signaling his openness to extension negotiations this offseason. The Texans are similarly motivated to lock down their lockdown cornerback, especially as the cornerback market continues to rise. The team will start by picking up his fifth-year option, allowing extension talks to progress throughout the summer while signaling to Stingley that he is undoubtedly a part of their long-term plans.

As a reigning first-team All-Pro who could get a few Defensive Player of the Year votes, Stingley will be pushing to match or exceed $24M per-year figure recently earned by Patrick Surtain. The Texans may be hesitant to reach that number given Stingley’s injury history, so they may wait for him to put together another fully-healthy year before giving him a market-resetting contract.

The negotiations will also be impacted by the extension eligibility of Sauce Gardner, who was drafted by the Jets one pick after Stingley in 2022. Gardner has been healthy throughout his career, but Stingley has more ball production on a per-game basis. If the Jets quickly come to terms with Gardner, that could acclerate Stingley’s negotiations with the Texans by creating a clear framework for his deal.

Texans To Activate CB Derek Stingley Jr. From IR

November 11th, 2023 at 1:57pm CST by Ben Levine

1:57pm: With Fairbairn set to miss some time, the team has officially made the decision to place him on IR. He’ll be out for at least four weeks now, so even though Ammendola is only getting called up for tomorrow, a permanent roster move to cover the kicker position is likely soon.

With two new vacancies on the 53-man roster, the Texans have opted to utilize their practice squad to fill one. The team announced that it will be signing practice squad offensive guard Dieter Eiselen to the active roster.

Lastly, joining Fairbairn as a standard gameday elevation will be practice squad tight end Dalton Keene. With Brevin Jordan one of eight inactives heading into Sunday’s trip to Cincinnati, Keene will step in to back up Dalton Schultz and Eric Saubert.

9:45am: It sounds like Derek Stingley Jr. will be in the lineup when the Texans take on the Bengals tomorrow. The team is set to activate the cornerback from injured reserve, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed the news.

Stingley landed on injured reserve back in September after suffering a hamstring injury during practice. The Texans opened his 21-day activation window earlier this week when the cornerback returned to practice.

While the return to practice was obviously a positive development for Stingley, it sounded like the team was proceeding with caution with the former third-overall pick. Since Stingley had been sidelined for more than a month, the Texans were reportedly going to give the defender as much time as he needed to get into game shape. Apparently, it didn’t take all that long, as Stingley is set to be activated only days after being designated for return.

The LSU product hasn’t necessarily lived up to his third-overall-pick billing, but that’s mostly been thanks to injury. Stingley collected 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended to begin his rookie campaign, but a hamstring injury suffered in Week 10 ultimately forced him to miss the rest of the season. He had nine tackles in two starts to begin this season before landing on injured reserve.

To make room on the roster, the Texans have waived offensive lineman Austin Deculus. The 2022 sixth-round pick has seen time in 13 games over the past two seasons for Houston, including seven appearances (one start) this season. He was waived at the end of the preseason before landing on the practice squad, and there’s a good chance he follows a similar path this time around.

The Texans made one additional move as they prepare for Week 10. Per Wilson, the team has promoted kicker Matt Ammendola from the practice squad as a standard gameday elevation. Ka’imi Fairbairn is set to miss a handful of weeks while recovering from a strained quadriceps, so Houston will temporarily roll with the journeyman kicker. Ammendola has spent time with six different organizations since going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2020. He’s seen time in 15 career games, connecting on 18 of his 26 field goal attempts and 19 of his 22 extra point tries.

Texans Designate CB Derek Stingley Jr. For Return

November 8th, 2023 at 6:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans should soon welcome back a key defender. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team designated cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. for return from injured reserve.

The team will now have 21 days to activate the defensive back from IR. Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com notes that while Stingley returned to practice, he might not be back this weekend against the Bengals. Considering he’s been sidelined for more than a month, the team is thinking about extending the player’s ramp-up period with an eye on activation against the Cardinals in Week 11.

The former third-overall pick suffered a hamstring injury during a late-September practice, landing him on injured reserve. Stingley started each of Houston’s first two games this season, collecting nine tackles.

The Texans had high hopes for the LSU product when they used the third-overall pick on him during the 2022 draft. He was productive to begin his rookie campaign, collecting 43 tackles, one interception, and five passes defended. He suffered a hamstring injury in Week 10 that ultimately forced him to miss the rest of the season.

Stingley wasn’t the only Texans player to return to practice today. Wilson tweets that the team also opened offensive tackle Charlie Heck‘s 21-day window for activation. The veteran has been sidelined since training camp while dealing with a foot injury. The former fourth-round pick has seen time in 35 games through his first three seasons in the NFL, including a 2021 campaign where he started 13 games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Texans CBs Derek Stingley Jr., Tavierre Thomas To Miss Time

September 22nd, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 22: After undergoing an MRI, Stingley’s injury is likely to sideline him for six to eight weeks, Wilson notes in an update to yesterday’s report. That news confirms the initial fears that an extended absence will be coming for the 22-year-old, and an IR placement will surely be coming his way soon.

In another injury-related update to the team’s secondary, Wilson adds that starting safety Jalen Pitre will miss Houston’s Week 3 contest. The latter suffered a bruised lung in the Texans’ Week 1 loss, and he has been recovering since then with the expectation he would not miss much game time. Pitre is likely to return to practice next week, per Wilson, which should give him a strong chance of suiting up in Week 4.

SEPTEMBER 21: The Texans played their Week 2 game against the Colts without most of their starting offensive line. One of those blockers — center Juice Scruggs — is poised to be an IR activation near the season’s midpoint. The Texans may soon need to use at least one more IR spot for a starter.

Derek Stingley Jr. suffered a hamstring injury in practice this week, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports, and an MRI points to a several-week absence for last year’s No. 3 overall pick. The LSU product is likely headed to IR, Wilson adds.

In addition to Stingley’s forthcoming absence, the Texans are set to see nickel corner Tavierre Thomas sidelined for a bit. Thomas suffered a broken hand in the Texans’ loss to the Colts and has since undergone surgery, according to Wilson. The Texans have not used an IR spot on Thomas yet, but he is expected to miss multiple games.

Stingley went down during Wednesday’s practice. Offseason addition Shaquill Griffin is expected to replace him in Houston’s lineup. Grayland Arnold will fill in for Thomas, per Wilson. These maladies hit a Texans secondary that has been without Jimmie Ward over the season’s first two games. The ex-DeMeco Ryans 49ers pupil is working his way back from a hip injury. Ward also began last season out of action, opening his final 49ers season on IR due to a hamstring injury. Ward managed a limited practice Wednesday, putting him in position to debut for his new team in Week 3.

For Stingley, this is familiar territory. He missed the Texans’ final seven games last year due to a hamstring injury — one that eventually led him to IR in December. Overall, Stingley missed nine games during his rookie season. Drafted to anchor Houston’s secondary in Lovie Smith‘s defense, Stingley remains a cornerstone piece for the Ryans-led team. Stingley and Jeff Okudah are the only corners to go off a draft board in the top three during the 21st century.

The Texans dropped their previous slot corner — Desmond King — before roster-cutdown day, releasing he and linebacker Christian Kirksey. While the latter made retirement plans Thursday morning, King caught on with the Steelers. King’s exit opened the door for Thomas, who is in his third season with the Texans. Thomas, 27, has made 15 starts with his current team; he played 69% of Houston’s defensive snaps over this season’s first two games.

Thomas re-signed with the Texans on a one-year, $2.25MM deal this offseason. Houston gave Griffin a one-year pact worth $3.5MM shortly after the draft. A former Eagles UDFA, Arnold joins Thomas in being on his third Texans team. He has worked almost exclusively as a special-teamer in Houston. Twenty of his 23 defensive snaps with the team came upon replacing Thomas in Week 2.

Texans Place RB Dameon Pierce On IR

December 17th, 2022 at 3:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Dameon Pierce‘s season has come to an end. The Texans have placed the rookie running back on injured reserve, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Pierce suffered a high ankle sprain during Houston’s Week 14 loss to the Cowboys, although initial reports indicated that the injury was mild. It was believed that the rookie RB may only have to miss a game or two, which wouldn’t necessitate a move to IR. Instead, the Texans decided to shut down Pierce for the year.

The fourth-round rookie has quickly established himself as an offensive focal point in Houston. He’s started all 13 games for the Texans, and he leads all rookies with 939 rushing yards. In total, the Florida product has contributed 1,104 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. With Pierce out for the final four games, the Texans will likely turn to Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale to lead their RB room. Royce Freeman will also be signed to the active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).

Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth are also heading to IR, per Yates. Stingley, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t played since Week 10 while recovering from a hamstring injury. He started each of his nine appearances for the Texans this season, collecting 43 tackles and one interception. After starting the season in Kansas City, Stallworth got into one game for Houston in 2022.

There is some good news on the injury front. According to Wilson (on Twitter), the Texans have also activated defensive lineman Jon Greenard from IR. Greenard had eight sacks in 12 starts last season, and he started each of Houston’s first four games this year before landing on IR. To round out their moves, the Texans signed defensive back Jacobi Francis to the 53-man roster and have promoted defensive back Will Redmond and tight end Mason Schreck from the practice squad.

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