While the 2024 regular season didn’t quite go as the Texans, or at least Texans fans, had planned, the team still own their division and on Saturday they won a playoff game. Amidst all of that, there were some tremendous individual performances. Joe Mixon and Nico Collins both went over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving, respectively, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson both piled up double digit sack numbers. In the end, though, the best player on the Texans this season was cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr
To that end, on Friday, Stingley was named to the Associated Press’ First Team All-Pro team. This is a huge accomplishment for Stingley, whose first two seasons in the league were marred by injury, missing 14 of the 34 games the Texans played in 2022 and 2023. This season he’s been fully healthy, and he compiled some very impressive numbers.
Stingley posted 54 tackles, a 18 passes defensed (second in the league), and 4 tackles for loss, while also posting his second consecutive season with 5 interceptions. According to NextGenStats, Stingley allowed the lowest passer rating (56.9) and lowest completion percentage (46.7 percent) among cornerbacks who played at least 400 coverage snaps this season.
Other thoughts on Stingley’s outstanding performance and big honor from the AP:
That third pick in the 2022 draft seems to be working out
For Stingley’s first two seasons, the story was more about the time he missed than the time he actually played, although the last seven games of 2023 were definitely a glimpse of what we would see this season. Accentuating the spotlight on how high Stingley was taken in the 2022 draft (third overall) was the fourth overall pick in that draft, fellow cornerback Sauce Gardner of the Jets, garnering first team All Pro honors as a rookie. The “Sauce versus Sting” debate was very lopsided in Gardner’s favor. Clearly, it’s not anymore.
Week 15 was the clincher for Stingley
In Week 15, in a home game against the Dolphins, a 20-12 win where the Texans’ offense only gained 188 yards, Stingley was dynamite on defense, recording two tackles 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. The interceptions came at crucial junctures in the second half with the Dolphins driving for the game tying touchdown. For his efforts, Stingley was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week that week.
The Texans are crushing it drafting in the secondary
Stingley is the crown jewel of the Texans’ secondary, but the team should have every reason to believe that position group will be really good for a long, long time, at least for the next few seasons before the young guys all hit free agency. Stingley is eligible for an extension this offseason, as is safety Jalen Pitre, a second round pick in the same 2022 draft in which the Texans took Stingley. The Texans two rookies in their secondary, CCB Kamari Lassiter and FS Calen Bullock have been outstanding. The Texans know what they’re doing when it comes to drafting in the secondary.
Stingley joins elite company
Stingley becomes just the second defensive player, and the first cornerback, in franchise history to earn AP All-Pro First Team honors, joining J.J. Watt, who is a five time first team All Pro. Stingley is also the first Texan to win the honor since DeAndre Hopkins in 2019. Here is the full list of Texans first team All Pros:
CB Derek Stingley Jr., 2024
WR DeAndre Hopkins, 2019
WR DeAndre Hopkins, 2018
DE J.J. Watt, 2018
WR DeAndre Hopkins, 2017 DE J.J. Watt, 2015 DE J.J. Watt, 2014
DE J.J. Watt, 2013
DE J.J. Watt, 2012
LT Duane Brown, 2012
RB Arian Foster, 2010
FB Vonta Leach, 2010
WR Andre Johnson, 2009
WR Andre Johnson, 2008
KR Jerome Mathis, 2005 Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
