Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. reportedly could be in line for a payday that tops the one Pat Surtain II enjoyed with the Denver Broncos in September.

“Pat Surtain II’s four-year, $96 million deal with the Broncos is likely Stingley’s target as the Texans are expected to make his extension a top offseason priority,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Friday.

Graziano suggested the Texans could “tear up the 2025 and 2026” years on Stingley’s current deal and sign him to a new one that some around the league believe would “top Surtain’s $24 million annual average and his $77.5 million in guarantees.”

Surtain is 24 years old and one of the best cornerbacks in the league, so it would make sense the 23-year-old Stingley would see him as a comparison point in his own negotiations.

Houston selected the LSU product with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft, and he has quickly lived up to expectations as one of the franchise’s building blocks alongside C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Will Anderson Jr.

Stingley was a First-Team All-Pro selection and Pro Bowler this season with 54 tackles, 18 passes defended and five interceptions. He was consistently trusted to defend the opponent’s best receiver and was up to the challenge far more often than not.

That he was so effective in just his third season suggests he could only get better, which is troubling news for AFC wide receivers.

It is also news that suggests the Texans should jump at the chance to sign him to a lengthy extension even if it costs more than the Broncos paid to keep Surtain.