Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. among league’s most improved players in 2024

Derek Stingley might not just be one of the league’s best cornerbacks, but also one of the most improved.

Houston Texans third-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. couldn’t have asked for a better season.

No, really, not many players earn All-Pro honors heading into negotiations for a new deal that will make them the highest-paid player at their respective position. Stingley, who could earn a clean sweep in first-team All-Pro accolades, did all that and then some in 2024.

After starting in all 17 games for the first time in his career, Stingley posted record-setting numbers in nearly every category, including total tackles (54), pass breakups (18) and tackles for loss (four). The former No.3 overall pick also posted his second consecutive season with five interceptions.

Pro Football Focus took notice of Stingley’s surging season, naming him one of the five most improved defensive backs in the second half of the 2024 season.

“Stingley’s aura grew and grew as the season went on, and the former first-round pick has fully asserted himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL,” PFF wrote. “His 81.3 grade in the second half of the season was sixth at the position, and he went into full lockdown mode, allowing a 40.6% completion percentage — third-lowest in the NFL.”

Stingley’s five interceptions were tied for the team-high with rookie safety Calen Bullock and ranked as the fourth-most in the NFL this season, while his 18 pass breakups stood as the second-most in the league.

According to NextGenStats, Stingley allowed the lowest passer rating (56.9) and lowest completion percentage (46.7%) among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps this season.

Stingley said he wants to be with the Texans for the rest of his career. After his dominant campaign in coverage, Houston would be foolish to let him way in free agency.

Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. earns yet another All-Pro honor

Derek Stingley Jr. has earned another accolade for his efforts in coverage with the Houston Texans in 2024.

All-Pro Sting has been a saying for weeks now.

Consensus All-Pro could be a new title added to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.’s vocabulary by this time next week.

The third-year defensive back was named a first-team All-Pro by The Sporting News Thursday morning, adding to his accolades from a breakout 2024 season.

After starting a career-high 17 games, the former No.3 overall pick posted career numbers in nearly every category, including total tackles (54), passes defensed (18) and tackles for loss (four). Stingley also posted his second consecutive season with five interceptions.

Stingley’s five interceptions were tied for the team-high with rookie safety Calen Bullock and ranked fourth-most in the NFL this season. His 18 pass breakups ranked second among defenders, trailing only Cleveland’s Denzel Ward.

According to NextGenStats, Stingley allowed the lowest passer rating (56.9) and lowest completion percentage (46.7%) among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps this season.

Stingley’s shining moment came in Week 15 while covering All-Pro Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill. In the victory, he recorded five tackles, including two for loss, two interceptions and two passes defensed, becoming the first cornerback in NFL history to record two interceptions and two tackles for loss in a game.

He would go on to be named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week, marking the second of his career.

This marks Stingley’s second All-Pro honor of the year after also being named to the Associated Press All-Pro First Team, making him the first cornerback in franchise history to earn Associated Press and The Sporting News All-Pro First Team honors in the same year.

Stingley was also named to the NFLPA’s All-Pro roster, which is voted on by only active players.

3 other Texans players received 2024 All-Pro votes

Laremy Tunsil, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. all made compelling cases for All-Pro status along with Derek Stingley Jr.

Derek Stingley Jr. is an All-Pro for the first time in his career.

The third-year cornerback is the first Houston Texans player to earn the accolade since DeAndre Hopkins in 2019.

He’s the first defensive player to earn the title since three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt made the team in 2018.

But while Stingley now has the title, he wasn’t alone in the running to earn the accolade entering the playoffs.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil received five votes, including one first-place vote, and four votes for second-team All-Pro. Defensive end Danielle Hunter received 12 second-place votes. And second-year standout Will Anderson Jr. received one second-place vote., but it wasn’t enough for them to make the list.

Stingley, the former No. 3 pick, broke out after starting 17 games for the first time in career. He posted career-highs in nearly every category, including total tackles (54), passes defensed (18) and tackles for loss (four), while also posting his second consecutive season with five interceptions.

Stingley’s five interceptions were tied for the team-high with rookie safety Calen Bullock and ranked as the fourth-most in the NFL this season, while his 18 passes defensed stood as the second-most in the League.

According to NextGenStats, Stingley allowed the lowest passer rating (56.9) and lowest completion percentage (46.7%) among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps this season.

Stingley was also named to the NFLPA’s All-Pro team and earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Stingley and the Texans host the Chargers at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium. The game will be nationally televised on CBS and Parmount+.

WATCH: Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. finds out about AP All-Pro accolade

Derek Stingley Jr. was surprised he made the All-Pro team, but the city of Houston isn’t.

All-Pro Sting has a nice ring to it.

It’s sticking around with the Houston Texans cornerback for the remainder of his career.

Derek Stingley Jr, the first significant piece in a three-year rebuild out in Houston, was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press on Friday.

He is the Texans’ first recipient of this accolade since wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in 2019 and the second defensive player all-time, joining three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt.

And even though he knew his season was special, Stingley was caught off guard when AP’s Rob Maaddi told him the news of honor.

“That’s crazy,” Stingley said. “Oh, that’s crazy!”

The All-Pro Award is one of the most leauge prestigious recognitions because it labels individual play over team skills. Fifty national media members have a final say on each position, thus making it more impressive to receive the accolade.

Nobody in Houston is surprised by the honor. In 17 games, Stingley’s recorded 18 pass deflections, five interceptions and 54 tackles, including four behind the line.
In coverage, he allowed the lowest passer rating (56.9) and lowest completion percentage (46.7%) among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps this season.

On top of his All-Pro honor by AP, Stingley elected to his first Pro Bowl last week. He also was named by to the All-Pro team by the NFLPA after a dominant outing while defending Miami Dolphins All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill.
Stingley, who soon will be one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league, and Texans host the Chargers at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium. Expectations are for him to lock down shifty speed threat Ladd McConkey.

Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. named to the NFLPA All-Pro team

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is garnering high praise from his peers entering wild-card round weekend.

Derek Stingley Jr.’s breakout season is being noticed among his peers.

The third-year Houston Texans cornerback was named a first-team All-Pro cornerback by the NFLPA as part of the third-annual tradition. He joined fellow Defensive Player of the Year candidate Pat Surtain II as the starting cornerback after helping Houston’s defense respond in 2024 en route to a playoff berth.

Stingley, the former No. 3 overall pick, finished the regular season as arguably the league’s top cornerback. In 17 games, he totaled five interceptions, 12 pass deflections and 54 tackles.

His five turnovers were tied for the team lead with rookie defensive back Calen Bullock. Among cornerbacks, Stingley ranked fourth, trailing only Baltimore Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey, Minnesota Vikings’ Byron Murphy and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Donte Jackson.

Listed below is the first-team defense, voted on by players following the conclusion of the regular season:

  • DL Chris Jones – Kansas City Chiefs
  • DL Jalen Carter – Philadelphia Eagles
  • EDGE Trey Hendrickson – Cincinnati Bengals
  • EDGE Myles Garrett – Cleveland Browns
  • NT Dexter Lawrence – New York Giants
  • LB Roquan Smith – Baltimore Ravens
  • LB Fred Warner – San Francisco 49ers
  • S Xavier McKinney – Green Bay Packers
  • S Kyle Hamilton – Baltimore Ravens
  • CB Patrick Surtain II – Denver Broncos
  • CB Derek Stingley Jr. – Houston Texans

NOTE: PLAYERS WHO MISSED 5 OR MORE GAMES AS OF WEEK 15 WERE INELIGIBLE.

The Texans return to NRG Stadium for a showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers on wild-card round weekend this Saturday at NRG Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

The game will be nationally televised on CBS and Parmount+.

5 Texans players to watch vs. Chargers in wild-card round

Nico Collins is just of several game-changing players that the Chargers will have keep an eye on this weekend in Houston.

The Chargers and Texans play on Saturday afternoon to open up the 2024 NFL postseason. Barring an upset from the other two games, the winner of this contest will more than likely face the Chiefs next weekend.

The Texans have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, so here are five specific players to watch on Saturday at NRG Stadium.

WR Nico Collins

Collins has turned into one of the most dynamic wideouts in all of football. With Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell out for the season, all eyes will be on Collins in this one. Not only is he a threat underneath, but he is C.J. Stroud’s favorite deep ball threat as well. If the Chargers want to win this game, limiting Collins should be their No. 1 priority.

TE Dalton Schultz

With some big-time playmakers out, Stroud hasn’t been able to find much of anyone to step up recently. A guy like Schultz will play a crucial role in this contest, as he may be the Texans’ second-best pass catcher now behind Collins. His numbers were slightly down across the board this year, as he had his lowest outputs in catches (53), yards (532), and touchdowns (2) since his 2019 sophomore campaign.

OT Laremy Tunsil

Recently, Tunsil was announced as a Pro Bowler for the fifth time in the last six seasons. He’s evolved into one of the best tackles in all of football, and his matchup against the Chargers pass rush may end up being the deciding factor in this game. The Texans gave up 54 sacks in the regular season, tied for third-most in the league, but Tunsil gave up just two of those.

CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Stingley has taken a massive step forward in 2024, and that has earned him his first career nod to the Pro Bowl. The LSU product regularly guarded opposing offenses’ biggest threats, yet he was still very productive. His five regular season interceptions finished tied-for-fifth in the NFL. It’ll be interesting to see if he travels with Ladd McConkey at all in this one.

S Jalen Pitre

The Texans defense is littered with young playmakers, and Pitre fits that description. Now in his third NFL season, he missed five games this season. It was obvious when he was out of the lineup, as the defense missed his presence. On the season, he finished with 65 total tackles, eight pass deflections, six tackles for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble.

Nik Bonitto snubbed for weekly award despite matching J.J. Watt’s impressive stat

Nik Bonitto is the NFL’s first player since J.J. Watt (2014) with double-digit sacks and multiple TDs in a season. Watt won DPOY in 2014.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto was not named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his impressive performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The NFL instead gave that honor to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley after he totaled five tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups in Week 15.

Bonitto was snubbed after recording five tackles (including one behind the line of scrimmage), one quarterback hit, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, a half-sack and a 50-yard fumble-six.

Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the season, tied for third overall and just one sack away from Trey Hendrickson’s league-leading 12.5 sacks.

Before his fumble-six against the Colts, Bonitto had a 71-yard pick-six against the Cleveland Browns in Denver’s previous game, making him the first player in NFL history to post 50-plus-yard defensive touchdowns in consecutive games.

Bonitto is also the first player to record double-digit sacks and multiple touchdowns since J.J. Watt accomplished that feat in 2014. Watt ended that season with 20.5 sacks and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Bonitto would probably need to lead the league in sacks to have a shot of winning DPOY this season. The 25-year-old pass rusher has three games remaining to build on his career-high 11.5 sacks in 2024.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Derek Stingley Jr. helped the Houston Texans win the AFC South and could be on his way to securing Defensive Player of the Month honors.

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. proved on Sunday that he’s possibly the league’s top defensive back in man coverage.

The NFL tends to agree with that statement heading into Saturday’s showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Stingley was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week following his two-interception performance that helped the Houston Texans capture their second consecutive AFC South Division Championship.

This marks the second time Stingley has won the award since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2022.

“Stingley has been impactful throughout the entire year. I think for the past three wins, he’s been our defensive player of the game,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “So, when he’s making impact plays, it’s putting us in position to win football games.”

In Week 15’s 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins, Stingley notched five tackles, including two for loss, two interceptions and two pass breakups. He also secured the victory with a game-sealing interception against Tua Tagovailoa while in man coverage against All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill.

Stingley led the NFL in interceptions for the week while his two tackles for loss also paced the league for defensive backs.

He became the first cornerback in NFL history to record two interceptions and two tackles for loss in a single game.

With his two interceptions, Stingley became one-of-two players in the NFL this season to record multiple interceptions in the fourth quarter of a game.

“All-Pro Sting,” safety Calen Bullock said following the game. “I’ve been calling him that since camp. And I think he’s gonna go get it.”

In 15 games, Stingley has tallied a career-high 46 tackles, four tackles for loss, five interceptions and 17 passes defended. He’s also recorded a franchise-record six interceptions in the month of December despite missing the entire month due to injury in his rookie campaign.

Derek Stingley Jr. helped the Houston Texans win the AFC South and could be on his way to securing Defensive Player of the Month honors.

The accolade marks the 61st time a Texan has been named Player of the Week and the 22nd time a defensive player claimed the award.


Stingley joins running back Joe Mixon, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn and defensive end Will Anderson Jr, as Texans players to win Player of the Week honors in 2024.

Ryans, who handed him the game ball following Sunday’s performances, wants more from the league before the season ends.

“He better be the Defensive Player of the Month,” Ryans said to the locker room postgame

Film Room: Keys to defending Anthony Richardson & the Indianapolis Colts

On Sunday, DeMeco Ryans will have to scheme up a masterclass defensive performance to slow down Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts.

The NFL is officially back!

After an offseason that saw the Houston Texans elevate from a fun, new playoff team to what many consider a Super Bowl contender, the squad is ready to debut both their new talent and uniforms on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Back in January, Houston defeated Indianapolis on its way to both the AFC South title and the playoff win. During the offseason, the Colts remained quiet on the free agency front while the Texans went for the splash moves.

Rather than commit exorbitant resources to bring in talent, general manager Chris Ballard is betting heavily that the natural development of young players and similar coaching efforts to a year prior can propel the team forward.

It’s not a sexy approach, but that doesn’t mean that second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson and offensive mastermind Shane Steichen won’t be a chess match of problems to prep against.

Richardson, the most athletic quarterback to ever test at the NFL Combine, torched Houston in a Week 2 victory last season, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter before exiting with injury. Despite the loss of that talent, Steichen was able to assemble a patchwork offense around journeyman Gardner Minshew that kept the Colts in the playoff hunt through Week 18.

One of the league’s most unique physical talents at quarterback with undoubtedly one of the league’s best play designers and play callers – now in their sophomore season. That presents a unique challenge that DeMeco Ryans and his defense will face to kickstart the 2024 season.

What does the path to success look like? The film tells a compelling story.

First, Houston must find ways to stay disciplined against a unique ground game. The Texans ranked sixth in rushing yards per game in 2023 with 96.6 yards allowed, but that number soared against Steichen’s schemed run game with 176.5 yards allowed on average between two contests.

New defensive tackles Foley Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr., plus linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, should help fortify the interior against Indianapolis interior trenches. Still, even if able to match physicality, the question becomes more about run discipline.

Steichen isn’t afraid to balance the line between modern and historic concepts to generate a run game. Take this play below, for example, against the Los Angeles Rams: There’s little window dressing, yet the defense is accustomed to seeing the handoff.

Combined with some pulling blockers, the Colts effectively run quarterback power for a first down.

Sometimes, however, it’s the opposite. Play designs can border on bland to oversaturated and elaborate.

In his 2023 debut, Steichen leaned into a formation that’s similar to the “Flexbone” or the triple option many readers have seen at high school-level games or military colleges. It’s an older offense that has gone out of vogue in new school concepts, but it still accomplishes the primary goal of creating an excellent run look.

The orbit motion from Josh Downs moves the linebackers in the wrong direction before he ultimately reverses and becomes a lead blocker for Richardson on the keeper.

Defending these concepts becomes challenging, not only due to the noise around the actual play but also because of how unique it is to the Colts.
Concepts like the ones below are an absolute must to defend Indianapolis but aren’t ones that Houston will see again this season. Even Lamar Jackson, the league’s poster boy of mobile passers, doesn’t run an offense the way Steichen plans to use Richardson. As such, it’s an odd position of a niche but a necessity entering the contest.

Looking back at the Los Angeles game, see how much detail Steichen can stuff around this simple quarterback-read option. A wide receiver comes motion that crosses the formation and a tight end crosses the formation to become the lead blocker should Richardson keep.

Life altogether becomes challenging for the linebackers. With Christian Harris out, expect Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o to start this upcoming game. There’s a degree to defending the run that becomes a guessing game. If players pursue or fly downfield incorrectly, it’s a win for Indy’s offense.

That’s their second key to victory – force legitimate passing downs to eliminate Richardson’s mobility. Steichen, just as he does in the running game, will look to make life easier for Richardson through the air.

That likely comes in two specific ways.

The first will be creating quick passes in optimal receiver matchups, specifically the slot. Rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell from Texas will be positioned with either alignment or motion to run routes against Jalen Pitre or the linebackers, which should be an offensive advantage.

It will be an early test for Pitre in the nickel spot defending receivers, especially when the route can go any direction. It becomes even more challenging when integrated with his run-stopping responsibilities in the context of the “RPO.” Steichen and Richardson will have no problem borrowing the college game for easier gains.

Those slot routes not only create quick passing options for Richardson, but they also play an essential role in nullifying the pass rush.

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter have a game-wrecking mentality on the exterior for Houston. It’s a strength that Indianapolis plans to take out of the game early. Having third-and-short or third-and-medium calls will allow quicker passing and route concepts where the Colts can roll the pocket and have Richardson on the move.

The Texans’ ability to force third-and-8-plus from Indinanpolis’ offense will put Richardson in a scenario where he’s forced to participate in grown-up NFL quarterbacking.

Richardson’s accuracy, albeit likely overblown by the public, is still a process from down to down and forcing progressions that take longer than 2 seconds buys time for Ryans’ defense to affect his process. The offense won’t be able to scheme the same quick passes and it will require the pocket to hold against the Texans’ front.

Truly, Houston’s ferocious pass rushers and Ryans’ scheming talents on coverages and stunts make their impact when Indianapolis has to hunt for chunk yardage.

The third and final key to the game circles back to Ryans – Houston cannot find themselves outcoached or allow their talent to be coached out of the game.

On paper, this is a matchup where stars like Anderson, Hunter, Al-Shaair, and cornerback Derek Stingley should give the Texans a firm advantage from a talent standpoint. They cannot allow Steichen to remove those pieces from the chessboard purely from a schematic standpoint.

Houston must force Indianapolis to win by forcing them to win individually against someone like Stingley in coverage or Anderson crashing down on the interior after a stunt. What does that effectively look like?

Ryans cannot hesitate to move Stingley around the field, as he did in the playoffs against Cleveland and Baltimore, if Indianapolis is willing to play around him. Allowing Steichen to consistently align Michael Pittman or

Mitchell across from rookie Kamari Lassiter, however promising he looks, would be a waste toward a budding All-Pro talent in the secondary.
On the defensive line, Ryans will have to be creative and ensure that his edge rushers don’t go to waste on chips and pocket movements.

Ryans and Steichen have a budding coaching rivalry from their times in San Francisco and Philadelphia, respectively. How these two prepare their players and can attack evolving weaknesses of each other likely dictates how this matchup fares.

It’s almost impossible to bet against Ryans after the last 12 months and there’s ample reason to believe they’re ready for the challenge that Steichen and Richardson present as a unit.

Fans will get their first look at how the hometown hero coach fares against the Colts’ dynamic offense at noon CT on Sunday.

Former Texans CB Steven Nelson retires after nine seasons

Former Houston Texans cornerback Steven Nelson is calling it a career after nine NFL seasons.

Former Houston Texans cornerback Steven Nelson is hanging up the cleats.

Nelson, who spent nine seasons as a standout No. 2 cornerback, announced his retirement from the NFL Sunday, according to KPCR2 Sports Aaron Wilson, citing he’d like to leave on his own terms. He plans to spend more time with his pregnant wife, Monica, and family while pursuing other business ventures.

“After thinking it over and having some talks with my family, I think it’s time for me to take a step back and spend more time with my family,” Nelson told Wilson. “We’re expecting a newborn this coming month and I wanted to devote all of my time and energy to that and various business ventures off the field.

“I’m extremely proud of my legacy and my career.”

Nelson, 31, spent his final two seasons with the Texans, playing opposite former first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr. He was a standout in 2023 while helping Houston clinch its first division title in four years, notching a career-high five interceptions, including an 82-yard interception return for a touchdown in a blowout AFC wild-card playoff game victory over the Cleveland Browns.

Houston chose not to re-sign Nelson in favor of C.J. Henderson and Jeff Okudah. According to reports, Nelson had options on the table to play in 2024, including multi-year deals with the New York Giants and Washington Commanders but instead chose to call it time for his family.

That doesn’t mean he won’t return to the game in the future, though his sights in the present are set on different ventures.

“I always will keep my body in shape and will always be ready if the right opportunity comes or I feel like the timing is right and my heart is into, I’ll do it,” Nelson said. “As of now, I think it’s best for me to take a step back and just enjoy my family.”

Drafted out of Oregon State in 2014, Nelson played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Texans in 2022.

In nine seasons, he totaled 456 tackles, 11 tackles for losses, 87 passes defensed, 13 interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack.

“I really appreciate the Texans and I’m proud of everything we accomplished together the past few years, building a winner and going from some very tough times to becoming a playoff team,” Nelson said. “I wish those guys all the luck in the world and I’ll be cheering them on. I hope my guys win it all.”