Texans Reportedly Restructure Derek Stingley Jr.'s Contract to Save $16M, Updated Salary Cap Space

The Houston Texans added some financial flexibility on Thursday.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Texans are converting $20.38 million of Derek Stingley Jr.'s $21.59 million salary into a signing bonus in an effort to get cap compliant this offseason.

Wilson noted that even more financial adjustments are coming, writing that the Texans "don't lack for flexibility and ability to create more salary-cap space to be competitive in the free agency signings period that officially starts next week. The Texans also are expected to sign All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. to a blockbuster contract extension this offseason and he could become the highest paid defensive player in the league, per league sources."

Defensive end Danielle Hunter is among the players who could see their deals adjusted in the coming days, given his $31.3 million salary cap figure and a $22.6 million base salary. Wilson reported that Hunter is interested in an extension.

Other potential extension candidates that could provide short-term cap relief include wideout Nico Collins and linebackers Azeez Al-Shaair and E.J. Speed, per Wilson, while nickleback Jalen Pitre and newly acquired running back David Montgomery are restructure candidates.

And tight end Dalton Schultz "hasn't been the subject of contract talks at this point heading into the final year of his contract," Wilson reported, adding that "there is no movement at this point toward any change to his deal, but Schultz is in the Texans' plans for next season after catching a career-high 82 passes last year."

As for Stingley, the 24-year-old has emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the sport, registering 36 tackles, four interceptions, one touchdown, 15 passes defensed and a forced fumble in 2025. He now has 15 interceptions and 51 passes defensed in his four seasons and is already a two-time first-team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler.

That made it hardly surprising that the Texans signed him to a three-year, $90 million extension last offseason, and he's currently the second-highest-paid cornerback in the sport in average annual value ($30 million) behind only Sauce Gardner ($30.1 million).