Texans finalize deal with former All-Pro

Taking care of a number of their own pending free agents on Saturday, the Texans are set to have a key member of their defense and special teams in the fold for 2024. Houston have finalized a new deal with slot corner and returner Desmond King, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

The one-year King deal will have a base value of $1.8M with the potential to max out at $2.2M, Wilson adds. The 29-year-old spent the 2021 and ’22 campaigns in Houston before being part of the team’s final roster cuts ahead of this past season. That led to a brief stint in Pittsburgh, but his lack of usage drove the Steelers to shop him ahead of the trade deadline.

With no takers emerging, King was waived and ultimately rejoined the Texans in November. The Iowa alum started three of seven regular-season games upon return as well as both of the team’s postseason contests. He totaled 64 tackles, two sacks and a pair of pass deflections in that span, proving his continued value to Houston. King logged 15 starts during his first Texans stint, and he will likely remain a key defender in 2024.

The former fifth-rounder also returned eight kicks and one punt in his limited time with Houston in 2023. King earned All-Pro acclaim for his special teams work with the Chargers in 2018, and he has maintained his role as a returner through much of his career. He will aim to improve on his 12.6 yards-per-return average with respect to kickoffs next season if he maintains his role as Houston’s top returner in 2024.

Houston entered Saturday with nearly $63M in cap space, leaving plenty of flexibility for when free agency opens next week. The new deals for Murray and King will eat into that total slightly, but they will ensure stability on the backend as the team looks to replicate 2023’s surprising run to the divisional round.