Derek Stingley Jr.'s case to be called the best cornerback in the NFL didn't need much work heading into the Houston Texans' Week 16 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, but the fourth-year pro didn't waste much time before strengthening said case this afternoon.
Heading into this week's game, Stingley had recorded 14 career regular season interceptions, plus a pair of picks in the Playoffs last year. But not once had Stingley taken one of those interceptions back for six. Then again, Derek Stingley Jr. had never played Geno Smith before today, and Smith proved to be incredibly willing to dial up a pass that Stingley would have the chance to take to the house.
The first pick-6 of Derek Stingley Jr.'s career 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QnCZeekyLJ
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
Who knows, maybe Geno Smith randomly selected Derek Stingley Jr. in an inter-squad Secret Santa this weekend, and a pick six was the cheapest possible gift that Smith could give him. Or maybe Stingley, like the rest of this Texans defense, just has a knack for turning teams over and making something out of it when he gets the ball in his hands. Either way, Stingley will soon need to purchase another acryllic box to display his collection of balls he's intercepted in his short but successful NFL career.
With that interception, Stingley now becomes the fourth Texans player this season with at least 4 interceptions, joining the rest of his teammates starting in Houston's secondary (Jalen Pitre, Calen Bullock and Kamari Lassiter). He also joins Will Anderson Jr. and Sheldon Rankins as the only Texans defenders who have scored a defensive touchdown during the 2025 campaign.