While the Jacksonville Jaguars came out of free agency with a promising haul, the Houston Texans have made a series of questionable decisions. The most recent one was giving edge rusher Danielle Hunter a monster contract.
Tom Pelisser of NFL Media is reporting that Houston is giving Hunter a one-year deal worth $35.6 million, making him the second-highest paid pass rusher in the league behind Myles Garrett.
The #Texans and Danielle Hunter have agreed to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension that makes him the NFL’s second-highest paid defensive end, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 19, 2025
Hunter will make $32M this season — a $12.5M raise — and $55.1M ($54.1M fully guaranteed) over the next two… pic.twitter.com/SR0UbySLse
Make no mistake, Hunter is a talented pass rusher, having registered a combined 29 the past two seasons. Heck, the Jags even showed slight interest in trading for him when he was still with a member of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2023. However, his salary seems a bit excessive.
The signing came just hours after the Texans raised eyebrows across the league when they locked up former Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson.
Granted, Robinson has been a starting-caliber left tackle since Jacksonville made him a second-round in 2017, but he's been inconsistent throughout his career. During his brief stint with the Vikes, he gave up the highest one-on-one pressure rate among all offensive tackles when he joined the starting lineup.
Sure, Robinson could turn out to be a dependable player for the Texans. The issue is that signing him isn't the only move they made this offseason that could come back to haunt them. Aside from trading Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders, they acquired Ed Ingram and Laken Tomlinson to "beef up the offensive line." The truth is that none of those will probably help C.J. Stroud stay protected.
Related story: Updated cap space and draft picks for the Jaguars after 2025 NFL Free Agency
Signing Danielle Hunter may be a sign the Texans want to prevent the Jaguars from overtaking the AFC South
It's important to point out that the Houston Texans are the reigning AFC South Champions, having won the division the past two years. Having said that, they had several glaring weaknesses that were exposed in the playoffs. Looking to stay at the top, they're going into a spending spree, but they may not get plenty of bang for their buck.
The one thing that's working in the Texans' favor is that C.J. Stroud will have a manageable salary at least until 2026, so they can afford to invest in other parts of the roster. Moreover, the AFC South isn't particularly strong, so they have a realistic chance to win their third division title in a row. On the other hand, they shouldn't take the Jaguars lightly.
While Jacksonville is coming off a disappointing 2024, they've been aggressive in their effort to improve this offseason, and if most of their moves pan out, they'll have a legitimate chance to unthrone the Texans.
The bottom line is that Houston is still a team to beat, but its latest moves don't inspire confidence and may narrow down the gap between them and the Jags. Sure, Danielle Hunter is one of the top rushers in the league, but re-signing him may not be enough for the Texans to stay at the top.