Denico Autry

Career StatsB

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		164	65.5	331	43.5
2025		12	3.5	8	0
2024		10	3.0	13	1
2023		17

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Denico Autry's Contract Value Index lands at A-, putting the deal in a defined slice of comparable signings. At $0.795 million annually, this is a textbook bargain contract for a 35-year-old established veteran entering what media consensus views as a final-chapter or walk-away situation. The Texans are paying basement-level salary for a depth pass rusher whose 2025 season yielded 8 tackles and 3.5 sacks across 12 games—modest production that, at minimum-salary rates, represents genuine value math: the team gets a 12-season, 65.5-sack career contributor for the cost of roster filler. The downside is obvious and baked into the grade: at this age and price point, durability concerns and mid-season absences limit the ceiling on output, and the team's recent defensive line signings signal they are building forward without Autry as a building block. However, the microscopic cap hit and the absence of long-term commitment insulate the organization from downside—if Autry produces even modest depth snaps, the Texans extract value; if he falls off the edge entirely, the salary-cap damage is negligible. The A- CVI reflects a perfectly calibrated low-risk, low-cost veteran deal: not a steal of historic proportions, but a fair-to-slight bargain arrangement for a club treating this as a short-term depth rotation rather than a cornerstone investment.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the A band — a quick read on where Denico's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Denico Autry is a 12-year veteran edge rusher who has carved out a respected career as a rotational pass-rush specialist in the NFL. Entering his age-35 season with the Houston Texans, Autry earns a B overall grade — solid for a player at this stage, though his recent trajectory raises legitimate concerns. His career body of work places him well above replacement level, even as his current production reflects the natural wear of a long professional career. On the pass-rush front, Autry's 0.29 sacks per game exceeds the NFL average of 0.19, demonstrating he still generates pressure when deployed correctly. However, his QB hit rate of 0.33 per game falls below the league average of 0.43, signaling some diminishment in his ability to consistently disrupt the pocket. His 2023 B+ campaign remains the high-water mark of his recent arc, but back-to-back C- grades in 2024 and 2025 suggest a player in visible decline rather than a temporary slump. The concerning part of Autry's profile is the direction of travel — three consecutive seasons trending downward is rarely a sign of an impending bounce-back. At 35, the realistic ceiling for 2026 is a serviceable rotational role rather than a featured spot in Houston's defensive front. The Texans will likely monitor his snap count carefully, and his value going forward hinges on whether his motor and technique can compensate for diminishing athleticism.

How Denico Compares at the Position

Denico Autry ranks 30th of 147 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Denico between Dante Fowler Jr. (B) just ahead and Grady Jarrett (B) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Denico Autry's public perception scores a F sentiment grade as fan and media tone converge. The 35-year-old pass rusher has become defined by exit-framing coverage, with widespread reporting that the Houston Texans are expected to move on entirely — a stark contrast to the respect a 12-season, 65.5-sack career might otherwise command. His 2025 production of 8 tackles and 3.5 sacks across 12 games reads as respectable depth output on paper, yet the narrative dismisses it as insufficient given durability concerns stemming from mid-season absences and injury-related limitations. The Texans' recent offensive line investments (Derrick Graham, K.C. Ossai signings) and roster churn underscore that management is building forward without Autry as a cornerstone piece, which only reinforces the media consensus that he has been quietly phased out at a bargain-basement $0.8 million salary. Even a blocked field goal coverage angle added to the negative frame, cementing a broader perception that at 35 on a veteran-minimum deal, Autry's market value has eroded to near-irrelevance — respected career contributor or not, no one appears to be actively squinting to envision his 2026 role.