The 2025 NFL Wild Card game between the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers at NRG Stadium on Saturday (11 January) is expected to be one of the round’s most closely-fought matchupswhich may give added importance to the roles of Ka’imi Fairbairn and Cameron Dickerthe teams’ respective placekickers.
The Texans (10-7) won the AFC South but were comfortably the weakest of the conference’s division leaders. The Chargers (11-6) ended the regular season with a superior overall record to Houston but were blown away by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, which resulted in them taking the first Wild Card spot.
A tight encounter is being forecast, which could bring into play the possibility of either Fairbairn or Dicker stealing the show with a game-winning kick.
Fairbairn’s Texans kicking stats in the 2024 regular season
In his eighth year with the Texans, Fairbairn’s kicking has been a feature of his team’s games as much as ever. In his 17 appearances in the regular season, the Hawaii-born star has attempted 42 field goals, equalling his career high previous set in the 2018 season.
Fairbairn has made 36 of those 42 attempts for a field goal percentage of 85.7%, which is only his fifth best return. However, this season’s tally of 142 points is only bettered by his 2018 season, when he recorded 150 points.
He did, though, miss twice from 28 yards or shorter in the recently completed regular season, including a potential game-tying kick against the Titans.
How much does Ka’imi Fairbairn earn with the Texans?
After not being selected in the 2016 draft, Fairbairn signed with the Texans, who named him their starting kicker the following year. He has stayed in that role ever since, signing contract extensions in March 2020 and March 2024.
The most recent of those saw him agree a three-year deal worth $15.9 million$11.06 million of which is guaranteed, that will take him through to the end of the 2026 season.
According to SpotracFairbairn will earn a base salary of $4.73 million in 2025while carrying a cap hit of just under $6.375 million and a dead cap value of almost $7.68 million.
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