Texans agree to 4-year extension worth $26M with Whitney Mercilus

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans have agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $26 million with outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, sources said.

The deal includes a $2.25 million signing bonus with a little more than $10.6 million guaranteed, according to sources. Mercilus was set to become a free agent after the 2015 season.

The Texans opted to not pick up his fifth-year option, choosing a contract extension instead. The option year would have paid Mercilus $7.751 million in 2016.

Mercilus was the 26th overall pick out of Illinois in 2012. Under his rookie contract, Mercilus' base salary for 2015 was to be $1.431 million.

Since the 2011 draft, first-round picks receive four year contracts with fifth-year options. The Texans picked up J.J. Watt's option last year, but worked out a contract extension before the 2014 season began.

Mercilus took over as the Texans' starting outside linebacker in the 2013 season, after the Texans parted ways with Connor Barwin. He started opposite Brooks Reed for most of that season.

In 2014, he was initially replaced on the depth chart by Jadeveon Clowney, but wound up starting 13 games, again opposite Reed, as the Texans' Jack linebacker while Clowney recovered from injuries. He had two multisack games, against Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and finished the season with five sacks, two forced fumbles and a batted pass.

Reed left the Texans in free agency this spring, leaving Mercilus and Clowney as the Texans' top two outside linebackers.

In his career with the Texans, Mercilus has 18 sacks, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.