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HOUSTON** – The Houston Texans re-signed unrestricted free agents P Shane Lechler and K Nick Novak. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
Since joining the Texans in 2013, Lechler has totaled 338 punts for 15,956 yards (47.2 avg., 39.3 net), pinning 115 punts inside the 20-yard line. He holds franchise records for punting average in a career (47.2), single season (47.6 in 2013 and 47.5 in 2016) and single game (58.9 on 11/10/13 and 54.5 on 10/9/14). In addition, his 40.1 net average in 2016 was the second-highest mark in team history.
Lechler is a 17-year NFL veteran having spent the first 13 years of his career with the Oakland Raiders after being selected in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft. He is a six-time Associated Press All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. In 270 career games played, Lechler ranks first in NFL history in career punting average (47.5), second in punting yards (64,171), third in punts inside the 20 (437) and third in punts (1,352).
Last season for the Texans, Novak made a career-high 35 field goals, which set a single-season franchise record and tied for the second-most in the NFL in 2016. He also added 22 extra points for a total of 127 points scored, which gave him his fourth 100-point season and second-highest seasonal total of his career. From Week 10 to Week 16, Novak made 16 straight field goal attempts, which tied for the second-longest streak in Texans history.
Novak has spent the last two seasons with the Texans and in 29 games, made 53-of-62 (85.5%) field goals and 51-of-56 (91.1%) PATs for 210 total points scored. He has also handled kickoff duties and recorded 46 touchbacks since 2015. Novak has played in 111 career games over nine NFL seasons with the Washington Redskins (2005-06), Arizona Cardinals (2005), Kansas City Chiefs (2008) and San Diego Chargers (2011-14). For his career, Novak has converted 173-of-209 (82.8%) field goals and 239-of-245 (97.6%) PATs for 758 points scored
