One of the top offseason priorities for the Houston Texans, beyond overhauling the offensive line, has to be rewarding cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. sooner than later.

Traditionally, the Texans have been really good at rewarding homegrown talent sooner than expected under previous regimes. Think back to 2014 when the Texans gave a defensive lineman by the name of J.J. Watt a six-year contract extension, worth $100 million following his third NFL season.

Getting ahead of that pass rusher market proved to be key for the Texans by giving Watt his well earned money while still landing a contract that initially aged well.

Case in point, you and Houston.

After your first three seasons they immediately signed you at 16.7 a year. By the time your fifth year option was over, the D-Line market moved up to 19.

You got immediate cash, and the Texans got a contract that aged well. Worked for everyone!

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 9, 2025

That's exactly why the Texans need to prioritize paying Stingley following his third NFL season, in which he was named to his first career All-Pro list.

After the season Stingley had in 2024, he's more than deserving of getting a new deal to remain in Houston long-term and that deal should make him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, at least at the time of signing.

That's exactly what the Denver Broncos did last offseason with star cornerback Patrick Surtain, locking him into a record 4 year, $96 million extension following his third season, and he paid his team back immediately with a Defensive Player of the Year worthy season in 2024.

But, as we mentioned above, the more you wait, the more you pay. A new bar has been set by another rising cornerback on Monday, hours before the start of the legal tampering period.

Panthers Jaycee Horn Signs Record 4-year, $100M Extension

Yes, you read that right. The Carolina Panthers rewarded one of their own by making Jaycee Horn the new highest-paid defensive back in NFL history.

Horn was drafted eighth overall, one pick before Surtain, in the 2021 NFL Draft (Stingley was selected second overall in the 2022 NFL Draft).

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHBcKyKsLpM

This new number sets the bar for Stingley and his agents in negotiations when it comes to his own long-term deal that can be reached as soon as this offseason.

Regardless, this extension reshapes the defensive back market, which is great for young guys expected to land top extensions such as Stingley, New York Jets' Sauce Gardner, Kansas City Chiefs' Trent McDuffie, etc.

The Texans will need to get in front of things and prioritize Stingley's extension sooner than later because that record number is only going to go up.

Derek Stingley Jr. might not be the only Texans’ defender who could land an extension this offseason, there’s one more deserving candidate

He’s earned a longer deal.