Houston Texans
Shane Lechler - #9 - P
| Status | Active |
| Height/Weight | 6' 2"/ 230 lbs. |
| Birthday | 08/07/1976 |
| Birthplace | Sealy, TX |
| College | Texas A&M |
| Years played | 14 |
| Drafted | 2000, 5th round, 13th pick by Raiders |
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PLAYER NEWS
The Houston Texans have signed Lechler. Terms of the contract were not disclosed by the team Saturday. ESPN reported the deal was for three years and worth a maximum of $5.5 million, with a $1 million signing bonus.|||||||
The 36-year-old Lechler is the NFL's career leader in gross average per punt (47.3 yards) and has led the league in gross average in four seasons. He also ranks seventh in career net punting average (38.8 yards).
Lechler went 1 for 2 in his chase for punting records. Lechler fell just short of breaking Sammy Baugh's single season mark for gross punting average, while topping his own mark for net average in a season.|||||||
Lechler averaged 52.4 yards on five punts in Sunday's season finale for Oakland against Baltimore. That gave him a 51.1-yard average for the season, just shy of Baugh's record of 51.4 yards in 1940. Lechler finished the season with a 43.9-yard net average, breaking the mark of 41.2 he set last season. No punter had topped a 40-yard net average until Lechler and Andy Lee did so in 2007. Lechler has extended his record the past two seasons.
Lechler, who already owns the league record for career average, is having his best season so far and is making his strongest bid yet to beat Sammy Baugh's 69-year-old record of 51.4 yards. It's an achievement Lechler has been chasing since he entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick in 2000.|||||||
A four-time Pro Bowl pick, Lechler leads the NFL with a 52.3-yard average heading into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. That's more than three yards higher than Lechler's own franchise record of 49.1 set in 2007.
Lechler has agreed to a four-year contract to stay with the Oakland Raiders, the Associated Press has learned.|||||||
Lechler could have become an unrestricted free agent next week after being chosen to the AFC's Pro Bowl team for the fourth time in his nine-year career. The Raiders didn't disclose financial terms of the deal, but it's believed to make Lechler the highest-paid punter in NFL history.
Lechler will test out his strained hamstring over the next couple of days, and if no problems arise, he plans to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints. The punter, who has been limited since suffering the injury in the Raiders' first exhibition game, is considered as day-to-day.|||||||
Lechler was selected to the Pro Bowl last season after leading the league with a 46.7-yard average on 73 punts.
