It got lost a bit in the shadow of the season that J.J. Watt put together, but Texans defensive end Antonio Smith played well in 2012.
Smith had seven sacks and forced two fumbles while playing on the opposite side of the line from Watt and gave the Texans as good a pair as 3-4 defensive ends as you’ll find anywhere in the league. Smith would like to see the partnership extend beyond the 2012 season.
Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston reports that Smith was talking about a contract extension on Thursday. He’s entering the final year of his deal and indicated that the Texans share his desire to remain on the team.
“I told them I wanted to be here and I wanted to spend the rest of my career here,” Smith said. “They told me they are open to doing an extension.”
Smith is set to make $6 million in 2013 and he has a cap figure of $9.5 million, a number which would likely come down to a more manageable figure if he could reach agreement on an extension with the Texans. While Smith is turning 32 this season, he’s remained productive and a short extension that shaves down that cap number would likely wind up working out well for both sides.