How the Houston Texans Annoyed Every Other NFL Franchise

The Houston Texans have started signing many of the rookies they selected last month, and Jayden Higgins' deal made NFL history.

Higgins and his teammate Jaylin Noel were both taken by the Texans out of Iowa State. The latter was a third-round selection with Aireontae Ersery, a tackle from Minnesota, sandwiched between the two receivers. Higgins was the first player taken by Houston in the draft, selected 34th overall after hte team traded out of the first round.

Higgins and the Texans agreed on a four-year deal that is worth $11.7 million. The unique part about this deal is that it is fully guaranteed, which had never been done before for a second-round pick and likely annoyed every other franchise. Contract negotiations just got even more difficult as guaranteed money is often a sticking point for players.

SB Nation columnist Mark Schofield wrote on why the Texans deal with Higgins might have annoyed other teams. Schofield makes a good point as Higgins' deal will open up other players to ask for these types of guarantees.

"However, that contract might have the other 31 teams a little frustrated with the Texans, as it likely opens the door to fully guaranteed contracts for second-round picks going forward. For example, Kyle Crabbs, who does tremendous work covering both the NFL Draft and the Miami Dolphins, pointed out after the Higgins contract that while the Dolphins were close to signing their own second-round pick, those talks 'probably got more complicated at the last minute' after the Higgins contract was announced," he wrote.

The 6-foot-4 Higgins has immense upside, and the Texans need him available and not upset about contract negotiations. He went for 1,183 receiving yards as a senior at Iowa State, and he has a frame capable of going up and getting passes from C.J. Stroud. With Tank Dell likely out for the 2025 season, Higgins' role becomes more important.

He's going to be heavily involved, and he's clearly seen as a focal point over the next several seasons. And, to be fair, Higgins deal highlights the leverage that a second-round pick, especially if it is the team's first selection in the draft, can have. However, for other teams, they may have to follow the Texans lead to avoid holdouts by their draft picks.