Houston Texans All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is on the precipice of finalizing his place as the most prolific defensive back in franchise history.
He already stands as the most accomplished cornerback ever in Houston, as evidenced by him becoming the first player in team history to secure an NFL First-Team selection at the position in 2024. He then went back-to-back with that accolade in 2025, which also helped to firmly cement him as one of the two-best cornerbacks in the NFL.
All that's left for Stingley to conquer would be the statistical benchmarks held by defensive legends of old. In particular, Stingley could finally eclipse legendary Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph's all-time record of 17 interceptions during the upcoming season.
Derek Stingley is on the verge of becoming Houston's all-time INT leader
Across nine campaigns in the "Bayou City", Joseph accumulated 17 interceptions in the regular season. This is still the leading mark in team history six seasons after his departure in the 2020-2021 season (and eventual retirement). Along with that achievement, Joseph also holds the records for most passes defended (118) and interception-returned-touchdowns (four).
Compare that to Stingley's resume, where the former LSU Tiger is only two interceptions away (15) from tying Joseph's all-time mark by only his fifth campaign (by the math, Stingley's average of three interceptions per season would guarantee the record falls in 2026). One interception would tie him with the runner-up in fellow franchise legend Kareem Jackson, who had 16 in his nine years in Houston (he appeared in 10 campaigns, but only played two games in Houston in 2023).
The top five in the category are:
- Johnathan Joseph - 17
- Kareem Jackson - 16
- Derek Stingley Jr. - 15 (active)
- Dunta Robinson - 13
- Andre Hal - 12
For the added challenge, Stingley would have to cover much more ground in the passes defended category, as he's currently behind multiple names for the "best-overall" distinction.
Most passes defended ever
In this category, Stingley's 51 total passes defended lands him at sixth-most in team history. The top five in that area are:
- Johnathan Joseph - 118
- Kareem Jackson - 88
- Dunta Robinson - 63
- J.J. Watt - 61
- Marcus Coleman - 56
Six passes defended in 2026 would launch him into the top five. If he were to maintain his average of 12-13 per season, he'd have a chance to overtake Robinson and end up all alone at third-most after this year.
Finally, Stingley might have to wait a while if he ever wanted to catch Joseph as the prince of the pick-6.
Most pick-6's ever
Stingley has only one career interception for a touchdown, which he accomplished in last year's week 16 matchup against quarterback Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders. That has him tied with 20 others in the category for fifth-most ever. The top four are:
- Johnathan Joseph - 4
- Kareem Jackson - 3
- J.J. Watt - 2
- Aaron Glenn - 2
At this rate, Stingley might have a chance at top-three status if he is fortunate enough to find himself in the open field enough times after the prerequisite amount of quarterback miscues.
Ultimately, while the statistical achievements would definitely bolster Stingley's case for "greatest cornerback ever", the biggest prize would be him helping to "put a bull on a ring" by bringing the city of Houston its first Super Bowl championship in team history.
If the Texans were to manage that monumentous feat, with Stingley featuring as one of the primary contributors for the endeavor, that would help elevate Sting from just "All-Pro Sting" to franchise legend.
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