Ka’imi Fairbairn is still under contract to the Texans for the next two years, but his deal has been altered. The veteran kicker worked out a restructure, as detailed by Over the Cap. 
Fairbairn was originally owed a base salary of $4.73MM, but that figure has been reduced to $1.25MM. The remaining money has been converted into a signing bonus with three void years being added to the pact. As a result, his 2025 cap hit has been dropped from $6.73MM to $3.95MM.
In place as the Texans’ kicker over the past eight years, Fairbairn has long been among the league’s best at the position. The 31-year-old saw his overall accuracy dip slightly to 85.7% in 2024, but he showcased his range on several occasions along the way. Fairbairn made 13 field goals of 50 yards or more (on 16 attempts) last season. At one point, that represented an all-time record but Brandon Aubrey wound up making 14 such field goals for the Cowboys.
Fairbairn has signed two long-term deals during his time with Houston. The most recent of those came last spring, and his $5.3MM AAV places him in a tie for sixth amongst kickers. Expectations will remain high for the UCLA product moving forward as the Texans aim to improve on their middling offensive stats from last year. Fairbairn will give the team a reliable option at the position for 2025 and beyond.
Houston entered Monday near the bottom of the league in cap space. All but one member of the team’s draft class is already under contract, but this move will free up funds for other moves during the latter stages of the offseason.
I’m upset because a kicker who has served a team consistently well for 8 seasons should be demanding a salary of at least $10MM and not accepting a reworked deal that pays a ridiculous $1.25MM. Fairburn hasn’t done himself or other kickers around the league any favor here and they will continue to be underpaid and undervalued as a result.