Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on Monday morning agreed to a $90 million, three-year extension with the Houston Texans that makes him the highest-paid defensive back in the league—but he's not really focused on that so much as he is his game.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Stingley was surprisingly chill about the dollar amount attached to the extension.
Asked how important the money is "not only for yourself but kind of setting and increasing the value of your position," the corner just shrugged and said all he was thinking about was getting to play.
"I went into this situation and was basically thinking just playing football," Stingley replied. "I wasn't really focused on how all of that was going to get done. But I mean it got done and, I mean, it's cool, like, the market is different now, but that doesn't really have anything to do with me, really. I'm just here to play football."
Derek Stingley Jr. on his market breaking extension:
— Jacob (@TexansJacob) March 19, 2025
“It’s cool, I’m here to just play football”
Can we see the 2025 defense out there right now? pic.twitter.com/gjXQdFbSsT
Stingley just finished off his third season with the Texans, who drafted him with the No. 3 pick of 2022 NFL draft. He has so far recorded a career total of 136 tackles, one sack, 11 interceptions, and 36 passes defended, 18 of which came during the 2024 regular season (the second-most in the league).
The LSU export has clearly shown the Texans enough to keep him around long-term. But even better, it sounds like he's not letting any mega dealmaking get to his head.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Derek Stingley Jr. Was Surprisingly Chill About Record-Breaking Extension With Texans .
