The Houston Texans already have a busy contract future taking shape, and Kamari Lassiter is now squarely part of it.
Once the 2026 NFL season is in the books, Houston is expected to have several important negotiations waiting. C.J.
Stroud’s situation sits at the center of it all, but he won’t be the only major name on the docket. Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz, Danielle Hunter and Calen Bullock are also among the players who could be part of those discussions.
Lassiter, though, is the one whose market may have just gotten a whole lot clearer.
The cornerback is eligible for a new deal after the 2026 season, and his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2025 only strengthens his case. He has formed a strong pairing with All-Pro Derek Stingley, and the Texans will eventually have to decide how far they’re willing to go to keep that duo intact.
A major clue came from New England just before the 2026 season kicked off. The Patriots reportedly agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract with Christian Gonzalez, a move that made him the highest-paid player at his position on an AAV basis.
The report also included the terms as a four-year, $135M extension with $102M guaranteed, per sources, with the deal reached just in time for Week 1.
That contract matters well beyond Foxborough. For corners across the league who are headed toward new deals, it helps set the market - and Lassiter fits that group, since he is slated to hit free agency in 2028 without a fresh extension in place.
Gonzalez’s deal now places him among a small group of cornerbacks with contracts worth more than $100 million overall. Devon Witherspoon, Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner and Jaycee Horn are the others.
Lassiter doesn’t have the same résumé as that group yet. He’s only two years into his career and has one Pro Bowl selection. Four of those five highest-paid corners also have at least one All-Pro Second-Team nod, which makes a $100 million figure feel rich on paper.
Still, cornerback is one of the league’s premium positions, and the price keeps climbing. Teams continue to prioritize the boundary, and that only raises the cost for players like Lassiter.
If Houston wants to keep him long term, the number is going to be steep. A deal could require at least $25 million per year, which would put him in the top eight at the position by average annual value.
Whether the Texans want to pay that - or can afford to, given the rest of their roster business and Stroud’s looming future - is the real question. But Gonzalez’s extension makes one thing obvious: Houston has been put on notice. Lassiter’s next contract is coming, and it won’t be cheap.
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Texans Practice Squad Shuffle Suddenly Includes A Quarterback Twist
The Texans kept their practice squad moving this week, adding center Gavin Gerhardt and quarterback Mark Gronowski while clearing out room by releasing defensive tackle Dom Bailey and center Kaena De Cambra. For a roster that is often churned at the edges, the moves fit the familiar late-season rhythm of trying to keep depth available at key spots, especially up front and behind center.
Gronowski brings an interesting backstory into the mix after his stops at South Dakota State and Iowa, and he arrives in Houston after recently being released from the Dolphins practice squad. For the Texans, the addition gives them another quarterback in the building as they continue to manage the weekly demands of a long season, even if this kind of move usually says as much about preparation as it does about any immediate opening on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]