The Houston Texans are making a few last-minute cap-clearing moves ahead of free agency. Houston gave itself more flexibility by restructuring the contracts of star defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre.
The Texans used the simple salary-to-bonus structure on both players' deals to create $22.532 million in cap space, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday. They also added a few void years to each deal to finalize the moves.
Stingley and Pitre each inked lucrative extensions in 2025, with the former signed through the 2029 season and the latter contracted through 2028. The Texans gave Stingley, their two-time All-Pro cornerback, a three-year, $90 million extension one month before giving Pitre a three-year, $39 million deal.
Both players are coming off successful 2025 campaigns as two key defensive backs in the Texans' top-five secondary. Stingley and Pitre each recorded four interceptions, one behind safety Calen Bullock for the team lead. Stingley added nine pass breakups to end the year with his second consecutive first-team All-Pro nomination.
Pitre notched a career-high 12 pass breakups and ended the season third on the team with 74 tackles. The Baylor alum led Houston with an 83.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus, fourth-highest in the league among safeties.
The Texans tweaked Stingley and Pitre's deals days after doing the same with star receiver Nico Collins. They now have roughly $50 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, allowing them to make a few big moves once the negotiating window opens on Monday.
The Texans enter the 2026 free agency window with the same need as their previous two offseasons. Houston is expected to be aggressive in the offensive line market, even with four of its five starters slated to return.
