There are few NFL players who have made a bigger impact on a franchise than JJ Watt made with the Houston Texans. To this day, he is still the biggest name ever attached to the franchise.
While he may not be playing football anymore, he has remained a very public figure. Watt enjoys chiming in with his thoughts on the NFL, whether that be on talk shows or via his own social media platforms.
On Monday, the Texans made a big move. They were able to sign star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to a three-year, $90 million contract extension including $89 million guaranteed. With the move, Stingley became the highest paid defensive back in NFL history.
In a post on X shortly after the Stingley news broke, Watt made his approval of the extension clear.
He posted a two-word message in response to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter's report.
Much of the Houston Texans' success in 2024 can be attributed to the defensive unit, which performed very well, ranking fifth in total yards per game allowed (315) and 14th in points per game allowed (21.9).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73967511/2196858665.0.jpg)
Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who just wrapped up his third season in the NFL, made his first Pro Bowl and was named First-Team All-Pro, was a big contributor to that.
It's clear the Texans understand how important he is to the team because, on Monday, they signed him to a three-year, $90 million contract, which makes Shim the highest-paid defensive back by yearly salary ($30 million) in NFL history.
Quickly after the deal was announced, former Texans defensive end and NFL legend J.J. Watt made his opinion on the deal very clear, saying, "Good Business," via a social media post.
Now, though at just 23 years old, Stingley is tasked with continuing to prove that he's worthy of such a large deal and possibly even improve on his already impressive 2024 numbers.
For the first time in his career, he started 17 total games, racking up 54 tackles, four tackles for loss, 18 pass deflections, and five interceptions, but where he truly shined was in pass coverage.
Opposing quarterbacks had very little success when targeted by whoever Stingley was covering, throwing his way 85 times while he allowed just 40 receptions, 382 yards, four touchdowns, and a 51.2 passer rating.
