Justin Jefferson contract might put Texans in a tough spot, but not with a WR

In non-Houston Texans news, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to a massive $140 million deal with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. We now know what the going rate will be for elite receivers but what about star cornerbacks? Texans fans will be quite interested in those numbers considering that Derek Stingley Jr. will be eligible for an extension next offseason.

Before Stingley and fellow 2022 draft pick Sauce Gardner get taken care of, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain will look to get extended. According to Bill Barnwell of ESPN, "I would expect Surtain to push the market forward and Gardner's subsequent extension to top it. They won't get to Jefferson's level, but the top of the cornerback market should be approaching or hitting $30 million per season by the time Gardner gets his deal."

From what Barnwell wrote here, it sounds as though Surtain will set the mark for what Gardner and Stingley can earn the next year. He didn't mention Stingley in this paragraph so maybe that means Stingley doesn't end up earning as much as Surtain, which would be fine with Texans fans.

Derek Stingley Jr.'s extension is coming soon

The Texans drafted Stingley with the third overall pick in the 2022 draft and he had a strong second NFL season, recording an overall PFF grade of 81.8 and a coverage grade of 84.9 while tallying five interceptions. Assuming he puts together another solid season in 2024, the Texans will likely be paying Stingley a handsome amount of money this time next year.

Hey, if Stingley plays well again this year, then Texans fans will be happy to see him land a long-term deal and continue to help this team reach its dreams of winning a Super Bowl.