The Houston Texans have secured their kicker for an extended period, as multiple reports confirm the signing of Ka’imi Fairbairn to a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension.
This deal elevates Fairbairn to the position of the league’s third-highest-paid kicker in terms of average annual value. With an average of $5.3 million per year, he follows only Justin Tucker of the Ravens ($6 million) and Matt Gay of the Rams ($5.62 million).
Fairbairn’s previous contract, averaging $4.41 million per year, ranked ninth in the NFL.
Having spent his entire seven-year career with the Texans, Fairbairn joined the team as an undrafted free agent from UCLA in 2016. After a season on injured reserve in 2016, he has been the team’s regular kicker since 2017.
Over his career, Fairbairn has achieved a field goal success rate of 87.1%, going 175 of 201, ranking eighth in both kicks made and attempted, and ninth in percentage during that period. In the last two seasons, he has maintained an accuracy of over 93%, including a 27-of-28 performance last year, with his only miss from 51 yards out.
Fairbairn boasts a career extra point conversion rate of 92.4%, going 45 of 46 over the past two seasons. In 2023, he recorded the second-highest touchback rate of his career at 63.8% on kickoffs. At 30 years old, his strong performance suggests the possibility of additional contracts before the end of his career.