Quarterback CJ Stroud helped put the Houston Texans on the map with a Rookie of the Year award winning season. However, Stroud wasn’t the only member of the Texans to have a breakout 2023 campaign.
Houston has awarded kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The deal ensures that Fairbairn is locked in with the only NFL team he has ever known before free agency officially kicks off.
The new contract comes after Fairbairn made 27-of-28 field goal attempts in 2023, with his only miss coming from 50+ yards. His 96.4 kicking percentage was the highest of his seven-year career. Fairbairn also nailed 21-of-22 extra point attempts while 63.8 percent of his kickoffs went for a touchback, the second-highest mark of his career.
Serving as Houston’s kicker since 2017, the Texans wanted to ensure they didn’t need to make any changes at the position. Since joining the team, Fairbairn has hit 175-of-201 field goals and 206-of-223 extra points. He hasn’t missed a kick from inside 29 yards since his rookie season. Furthermore, Fairbairn has missed just three of his 18 attempts from 50+ yards since 2021.
Building around CJ Stroud will become paramount for the Texans throughout the offseason. He has proven he is the QB1 and a player who can lead Houston to immense playoff success. However, the players around him cannot go unnoticed.
The Texans made sure that Ka’imi Fairbairn was recognized in full. His new three-year contract ensures that he’ll keep kicking in Houston, trying to boot the Texans on an even deeper playoff run.
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