Salaries for most positions go up nearly every year. That's why some teams tried to get ahead of the curve and pay their homegrown talent before the market goes up. The Jacksonville Jaguars did precisely that with cornerback Tyson Campbell last year. The latest Derek Stingley Jr. news proves that they made the right call.
Adam Schefter reports that the Houston Texans gave Derek Stingley Jr. a three-year deal worth $90 million that includes $89 million. He's now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL by a wide margin.
Just recently, the Carolina Panthers raised eyebrows when they gave Jaycee Horn a contract that pays him an annual average of $25 million. Stingley will be making $5 million more, the difference is that he's a top-3 cornerback whereas Horn has never made the Pro Bowl, let alone earn an All-Pro nod.
Either way, teams that signed a cornerback in free agency are probably thrilled about the rates they had to pay. For instance, the Minnesota Vikings gave Byron Murphy a three-year, $66 million deal. Similarly, D.J. inked a three-year, $48 million contract with the Detroit Lions. Stingley is better than both, you could make the case that the Lions and Vikes got more bang for their buck than Houston.
And make no mistake, players are worth what a team is willing to pay them. Moreover, Stingley is no slouch. The third overall pick in the 2022 draft, he dealt with injuries that hampered his performance and limited him to nine games as a rookie. However, the former LSU Tiger showed massive improvement in 2023, registering five interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 2023. Then last year, he solidified his status as one of the top corners, registering five picks again, along with 18 pass deflections.
But wait, there's more. Stingley has given a completion percentage rate lower than 50 percent each of the past two years. On top of that, he gave up less than 10 years per completion. This is a long-winded way to say that he deserves the contract the Texans gave him. That said, it's a bit surprising to see them raise the floor when there was no need for it.
The Derek Stingley Jr. news should incentivize Jaguars CB Tyson Campbell to play better
NFL players are a competitive bunch, and while Tyson Campbell keeps his business to himself, he's a heck of a competitor, so the Derek Stingley Jr. news should motivate him to play better, especially when you take into account that both play in the AFC South.
Now, Campbell isn't in the same echelon as Stingley but showed in 2022 that he can play like a top-10 cornerback, registering a team-best three interceptions and giving up fewer than 10 yards per completion. Unfortunately, injuries have held back the former Georgia Bulldog the past two years.
Last year, Campbell allowed a completion rate of 61.8 percent and didn't tally a single interception. The Jaguars surely expected more after giving him a four-year deal worth $76.5 million deal.
Meanwhile, Derek Stingley Jr. has set the bar extremely high for cornerback play in the AFC South. Will that be enough for Tyson Campell to raise his game?
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