Texans' Derek Stingley Wins Award After First NFL Pick-Six

Houston Texans' star cornerback Derek Stingley got some extra hardware to go with his first NFL pick six vs. the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16.

According to an NFL announcement, Stingley has been named the AFC's Defensive Player of the Week, thanks to logging turnovers, including his pick-six on Raiders quarterback Geno Smith, en route to the Texans' 23-21 victory.

#Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. was named the AFC’s Player of the Week after his pick-six Sunday against the Raiders.
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) December 24, 2025

During the Texans' Week 16 action, Stingley found his way to two tackles, a forced fumble, and returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown.

He was the only player in the NFL with a forced fumble and interception for the week, making his selection for the week pretty easy.

Derek Stingley Jr.'s first career pick-6 was a 🔑 play in the @HoustonTexans Week 16 win! @progressive pic.twitter.com/3pcudh0E7o
— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2025

Derek Stingley Wins Third-Ever Defensive Player of the Week

The honor now comes in as Stingley's third-career Defensive Player of the Week award, and now becomes the third Texans player to earn Player of the Week honors this season, joining C.J. Stroud from his performance against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, and Danielle Hunter in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

His third Defensive Player of the Week award now gives Stingley the second-most-ever by a Texans player, filling in behind the one and only J.J. Watt, who had a staggering seven of them to his name.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) celebrates with teammates after returning an interception for a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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It's another layer to what's been a solid season for Stingley's fourth year in Houston. In 15 games, he's got 32 combined tackles, 13 passes defended, and four interceptions, remaining as one of the more elite corners the NFL has to offer on one of the most complete defensive units.

Earlier in the week, Stingley also found his way to a second-straight Pro Bowl selection alongside three other Texans, making for a pretty good past couple of days to be Houston's star defensive back, and could keep the momentum rolling with another potential All-Pro selection––depending on how those votes fall at the end of the year.

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