HOUSTON – The chess match is about to commence: a high-stakes encounter between two of the most skilled athletes in the game.
It’s another elite matchup for Texans All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. as he’ll square off against Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on Monday night.
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Stingley, signed to a three-year, $90 million contract extension this offseason, has a dozen career interceptions.
Smith-Njigba leads the NFL with 696 receiving yards as the headliner of Seahawks passing game orchestrated by quarterback Sam Darnold averaging 252.2 passing yards per contest.
“He’s a great receiver,” Stingley said. “He’s doing everything the right way on the field. It’s gonna be a fun matchup.
“He knows how to just get open, like he’s a great route runner. He’s just putting together the pieces.”
Over five games, Stingley has yielded just 12 catches for 197 yards and no touchdowns on 24 targets. Opposing quarterbacks have a 60.6 passer rating throwing in his direction. Stingley limited Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evan to three receptions for 36 yards on nine targets while shadowing him earlier this season in a Monday night loss.
Last season, Stingley was named to his first Pro Bowl after shutting down Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Dallas Cowboys standout CeeDee Lamb.
Stingley is expected to be assigned regularly to cover Smith-Njigba, who was named to his first Pro Bowl last season when he caught 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. He already has 42 catches for three touchdowns on 56 targets this season.
“If any corner’s in that situation, they shouldn’t change how they play,” Stingley said. “Just go out there with the same technique, eyes, feet. And make sure you take care of yourself first.”
The talent of Smith-Njigba, a 6-foot, 197-pound former Rockwall standout, has been obvious for years. He caught 109 passes for 1,691 yards and 10 touchdowns before declaring early for the draft and being selected in the first round. Six games into his third NFL season, Smith-Njigba has 205 career catches for 2,454 yards and 13 touchdowns.
When Smith-Njigba was playing for Ohio State, he set several Rose Bowl records while catching passes from future Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.
He caught 15 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns in a Rose Bowl win over Utah as Stroud passed for 573 yards and six touchdowns.
“Honestly, for us, we didn’t even really know it was that crazy,” Stroud said. “It was like a day of practice for us. Me and him have a connection that I think is just natural. That day was special, playing back home and him having probably the most legendary receiver performance in college was pretty dope. Honestly, it seemed like we were at practice.
“The first day I met him, I think we were at The Opening, and he was killing. He was on a different team. He was doing really well. We go to Ohio State, I think we were in the same dorm. The day of practice, he one-handed a pass and I was like, ‘This dude’s for real.’ Ever since then, he’s one of the best I’ve ever played with, if not the best. I’m just super proud of him. I’ve always known that this is going to happen. So, it’s no surprise to me.”
The Texans drafted and invested in Stingley for matchups like this one.
Stingley received a $25 million signing bonus and an average annual compensation milestone of $30 million in new money in a blockbuster deal that has $89 million total guaranteed and reset the marketplace for elite defensive backs.
The body of work Stingley is building sets the foundation for a long, lucrative and perhaps a potential Pro Football Hall of Fame career. With rare ball skills, coverage techniques, recovery speed and an ability to run receivers’ routes for them and catch the football as well as an offensive skill player, Stingley is just that good.
And Stingley is determined to show that the Texans made a great decision with their hefty investment in him.
“I appreciate them for believing in me and all that, but I just got to prove that they were right, whatever, but I really forgot about that to be honest,” Stingley told KPRC 2. “I’m just out here just with my teammates.”
Investing in Stingley made perfect, logical sense to an organization that values so many things about Stingley, including his character and dedication to football, fitness and film study.
Natural cover skills.
The seemingly effortless acceleration and athleticism.
How instinctively Stingley racks and catches the football, with soft hands that rival wide receivers’ grip and fundamentals.
The underrated, hard-nosed aspect of his game, and how he embraces tackling as a willing and capable thumper.
So, the Texans stepped up in a major way by rewarding Stingley for the player he is and with the hope that he’ll continue to be an elite corner for years and years to come. This deal likely only sets the stage for future contract extensions for Stingley with the Texans.
Now, here comes another challenging coverage assignment against Smith-Njigba AKA JSN
“JSN has done an outstanding job this year for Seattle,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Darnold has found a nice target to throw to and he’s made that entire offense go. Whether you’re covering him or not, he’s making explosive plays game after game. He continues to show up. JSN, he’s definitely having a Pro Bowl-caliber year. He’s doing an outstanding job.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com