Texans Sign Ka'imi Fairbairn to Record-Breaking Extension

The Houston Texans have signed another one of their core roster pieces onto a big-time extension.

This time, it's a new deal for Ka'imi Fairbairn, who found his way to some record-breaking contract numbers.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, the Texans have agreed to a two-year, $13 million extension with Fairbairn.

#Texans signing Ka'imi Fairbairn to two-year, $13 million deal, per a league source @KPRC2
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 10, 2026

The new contract effectively signs on Fairbairn through the 2028 season after he was headed into next year on an expiring deal, and also makes him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history at just under $7 million in AAV.

What Does Texans' Extension for Ka'imi Fairbairn Mean?

Fairbairn's new deal is yet another case from this offseason of the Texans' front office ensuring to keep their key cornerstones and internal talent around the roster in the fold for the foreseeable future.

The Texans have handed out big contracts on the defense in the form of Danielle Hunter's $40 million, fully guaranteed extension before free agency kicked off, signed on Dalton Schultz to another season for over $12 million to get a key weapon on the offensive end locked in, and now it's special teams gaining some attention from Nick Caserio and Co.

Fairbairn is the longest tenured player on the Texans' roster since arriving as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and has remained one of the most consistent veteran kickers around the league during that time.

During his latest season of production in Houston, he played in 15 games to connect on a league-high 44 field goals within 48 total attempts, had his third-career season of making over 90.0% of his field goals, and had his second career year of going a perfect 100.0% on extra points, drilling 28 or 28 attempts.

Jan 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans place kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn (15) kicks a field goal against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

With that recent slate of games in the rearview mirror, it's hard to say Fairbairn wasn't deserving of a new deal, and now gets to have the title of highest-paid NFL kicker to go with it.

As to what it means for the Texans now, an extension will be able to save a bit more money against the cap this offseason to potentially use on free agency, but most of the big numbers on his next contract won't officially hit until next season.

One way Fairbairn's deal could affect this year's free agency plans: it now makes the situation revolving around Tommy Townsend, Houston's veteran punter and current free agent, just a bit more interesting than it was headed into the legal tampering window.

It certainly doesn't count out the Texans from coming to terms on a new deal with Townsend. But when factoring in the money that's now added onto Fairbairn's deal, and the money that Townsend may command on his next contract, there’s a chance Houston may opt to spend a bit less on their special teams unit as a whole, and turn in another direction from their tenured veteran punter.

For now, though, the Texans can now consider their high-end kicker locked in for the next three years, and can officially keep a tenured Houston veteran in the building for over a decade.

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