Houston Texans star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. continued to remind the NFL world yesterday why he was selected as a First-Team All-Pro at defensive back last season (the first in Texans history).
With 10:54 left in the first quarter of yesterday’s matchup vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Stingley flipped the game on its head by intercepting a Geno Smith pass intended for running back Ashton Jeanty. He then took the pass 30 yards the other way to secure the first pick-six of his career, and a 7-0 lead for his team.
Houston won the game by a final score of 23-21, and Stingley’s pick-six was arguably the deciding factor in that outcome.
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The interception was Stingley’s fourth of the year, and the 15th of his four-year NFL career. That places him third all-time in franchise history, behind club legends Kareem Jackson (second all-time, 16) and Jonathan Joseph (all-time leader, 17).
What makes this development that much more amazing is when you consider the efficiency in which Stingley has turned over opposing quarterbacks.
For reference, it took both Jackson and Joseph 9+ seasons and roughly 130+ games each to accumulate their interception totals. On the other hand, Stingley has only played in 52 games and has already virtually equaled them in production (he’s also missed 14 games due to injuries sustained in his first two seasons).
Amount of games played notwithstanding, it is becoming increasingly clear that Stingley is already arguably the greatest cornerback in franchise history. Being drafted third overall in 2022 by general manager Nick Caserio, the former LSU Tiger has done nothing but be one of the most “shutdown” defensive backs in the entire NFL.
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He has the ball skills of a wide receiver, and the athleticism of a multi-sport athlete. He doesn’t try to bring a lot of attention to himself, nor is he brash or has ever been accused of being cocky.
He has done all of his talking with his elite play on the field, and head coach Demeco Ryans is all the more comfortable as a coach knowing that he has such a weapon in the secondary on weekly basis.
On the season, Stingley has 32 tackles (24 solo, 8 assisted), one forced Fumble, four interceptions, 13 passes defended and one touchdown. He is the punctuation mark on a Houston secondary that is the only team in the NFL this season with four defensive players who have at least four interceptions (Stingley, Pitre, Bullock and Lassiter).
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Even while nursing an oblique injury for the majority of the season, Stingley has proven his toughness every week and has shown up when his teammates have needed him most.
Yesterday was no different, as he missed two days of practice with the injury leading up to game day.
Stingley has already accomplished so much in his short career, as evidenced by the three-year, $90 million extension ($89 million guaranteed) he earned before the start of the 2025 season. But, there is still more for him to complete in a Texans uniform.
In the meantime, he has two more regular-season games to play before potentially playing in his third straight AFC playoffs.