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Which Houston Texans will reset the salary market at their position

Theo

A few weeks ago, the Houston Texans and general manager Nick Caserio managed to secure the services of wide receiver Nico Collins through the 2027 season, adding a three-year, $72 million extension to his remaining season. rookie contract he signed. in 2021. This was a significant expense for an ascending player, as it made Collins the seventh-highest paid receiver in football at the time.

A few days later, however, Collins’ $24 million annual value would be surpassed by Miami’s Jaylen Waddle and his $28 million-per-year contract. A few days later, those two deals would be greatly eclipsed by Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, whose four-year, $140 million deal reset the multimillion-dollar wide receiver market:

Collins’ deal is good for the player and the team. Both sides seem very happy with the deal, and it appears to be a negotiation that went respectfully and easily. Jefferson’s deal, however, sets the stage for contentious negotiations for a few other teams and their big-name receivers — Ceedee Lamb (Cowboys), Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals) and Brandon Aiyuk (Niners), to name a few just a few.

Nico Collins was never going to enter into a contract negotiation flirting with the top of the wide receiver market and, therefore, it would likely never become contentious. However, the Texans will likely have to put on their “big boy pants” for some of their upcoming contract extensions over the next couple of years. By my calculations, these four players could reset the market at their position, like Jefferson did for receivers last week:

CJ STROUD, quarterback
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for an extension during the 2026 offseason
CURRENT LEADER: Joe Burrow, $55 million AAV
Stroud had the best rookie season for any quarterback in the history of the sport, and if he is able to match that or build on that in 2024 and 2025, he will become the player best paid in the history of sport, I would do it. be shocked if Stroud’s next deal is for LESS than $60 million per year.

WILL ANDERSON, EDGE
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for an extension during the 2026 offseason
CURRENT LEADER: Nick Bosa, $34 million AAV
Anderson probably has more work to do than classmate Stroud to jump into the “market reset” conversation. Anderson was outstanding by rookie standards in 2023, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, to get into Bosa’s tax bracket, he will need to double his rookie sack numbers (7.5 sacks) in each of the next two years. Even then, Anderson’s extension will likely come in the summer of 2027.

DEREK STINGLEY, Jr., CB
CONTRACT SITUATION: Eligible for an extension during the 2025 offseason
CURRENT JOB LEADER: Jaire Alexander, $21M AAV
In the second half of the 2023 season, the Texans finally got the version of Stingley they thought they would get in 2022 when they used the third overall pick to bring him to the team. Injuries have been a major issue for Stingley since 2020, when he was at LSU. He needs a healthy season in 2024, with high-level performances, for an extension at the top of the market to even be considered next summer. This is more likely a conversation planned for 2026.

LAREMY TUNSILE, LT
CONTRACT SITUATION: Free agent after the 2026 season
CURRENT LEADER: Laremy Tunsil, $25 million AAV
We know Tunsil is capable of securing a market-leading contract extension at the tackle position because he has done so twice before, including in the summer of 2023. Currently, Tunsil is still the LEFT tackle highest paid, but don’t think he didn’t notice that Detroit’s Penei Sewell reset the right tackle market to $28 million per year. Tunsil will come for more money in a few years.

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