One thing that Houston Texans EVP and General Manager Nick Caserio has insisted, since the arrival of head coach DeMeco Ryans and his “S.W.A.R.M.” mentality in 2023, is that, if players come into the building and work at an elite level and perform at a high level, they will be rewarded.
Over the past two years, as players that Caserio has handpicked in the draft since his arrival have aged and become eligible for second contracts, he has lived up to that promise. Ask Nico Collins, Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre, Will Anderson, and Azeez Al-Shaair. (Don’t ask C.J. Stroud right now. Save him for later.)
Now, those are marquee, Pro Bowl caliber players. The decisions to pay players on the next tier become a little more nuanced. The Texans, though, chose to grant that promise one more time on Thursday morning, signing fourth year linebacker Henry To’o To’o to a two year, $16 million contract.
This is a good deal for both sides
The fact that To’o To’o has made it to a second contracts of any substance means that he was a home run as a fifth round pick. He’s developed into, at a minimum, a reliable, versatile, and willingly physical linebacker, and there is absolutely a market for that in today’s NFL, which has become more run heavy in recent years. The fact of the matter is, if To’o To’o has a good season in 2026, there would have been teams lined up to give him north of $10 million, and hope that he brings some of that magical Texans defense pixie dust with him. This works for both sides — the Texans get a good value, and To’o To’o gets millions and millions of dollars.
The core of this defense is secured for a considerable period.
This is the scary thing for the other 31 teams in the NFL — Nick Caserio has done a masterful job at not only building this defense, but making sure that it stays together for as long as possible, in an NFL that is governed by a hard salary cap. Here is what the Texans’ defense looks like over the next few seasons:
- Will Anderson – signed through 2030
- Azeez Al-Shaair – signed through 2030
- Derek Stingley – signed through 2029
- Jalen Pitre – signed through 2028
- Henry To’o To’o – signed through 2028
- Reed Blankenship – signed through 2028
- Sheldon Rankins – signed through 2027
- Danielle Hunter – signed through 2027
- Kamari Lassiter – signed through 2027
- Calen Bullock – signed through 2027
Now, things get complicated when Lassiter and Bullock become eligible for big money extensions next spring, but for now, this is a nice balance sheer on the defensive side of the ball. Hey, speaking of extensions….
Who’s next?
All eyes are on C.J. Stroud and his contractual situation, because if and when it does come down, it should be money that exceeds everyone listed above, including Will Anderson, who’s making $50 million per year. The issue is that things seem to be moving slowly, or perhaps both sides have sort of a silent agreement to reconvene next year to discuss a deal for the Texans’ signal caller. Stroud is not the slam dunk player Anderson is. Another possible extension that could happen is one for defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, who signed a one year, $3.3 million extension at the beginning of last season, and has far exceeded expectations. The team loves him, but Togiai might have a market after the season is over.
