Shane Lechler returns to Texans for another season

The Houston Texans have agreed with Shane Lechler on a one-year deal. John McClain of The Houston Chronicle Tweeted the news Thursday morning.

This will be Lechler’s sixth season with the Texans. The East Bernard native will remain close to home for another year. The deal is reportedly for $2 million with a $600,000 signing bonus. McClain also Tweeted the contract details in the afternoon.

The overall contract value is the same as last year. The only difference is an increase in the signing bonus. Increasing in value from $500,000 to $600,000.

Last season Lechler’s 49 yards per punt ranked second in the NFL. Lechler’s 4,507 yards last season led the league. Punting 92 times, Lechler was utilized the third-most out of all punters in the NFL last season.

Lechler’s high usage was less about his ability as a punter but more of the failures of the Texans offense. Outside of the brief period with Deshaun Watson under center, the Texans offense was dreadful.

Punting is an often overlooked aspect of the NFL game. Having a good punter can surprisingly make a huge difference over the course of a game. There is a huge difference between pinning an offense back inside the 20 yard line and starting at the 20 via a touchback. Lechler successfully pinned opponents inside the 20 yard line 32 times last season, fifth-most in the NFL.

Ensuring that the special teams unit is a productive unit is very important for the Texans. Any team for the matter. Special teams is one third of an NFL game. It may not occupy the same amount of on field time but it is equally as important. There are times a game is decided on special teams. Bringing back Lechler will help the Texans and give them more positive outcomes. A productive special teams unit can lead to more wins for the Texans in 2018.