Marlin Klein has signed a contract with the Houston Texans. For now, the tight end will have to settle for the minimum rookie salary.

Marlin Klein is now officially part of the NFL. About three weeks after the draft, the tight end signed his first contract in the league. This was announced by the Houston Texans, who selected the 23-year-old with the 59th overall pick.

The contract runs for four years and is worth $8,184,982, according to “Over the Cap.” The total consists of a base salary of $5,772,270 and a prorated signing bonus of $2,412,712.

In the upcoming season, Klein will therefore receive the minimum base salary for a rookie of $885,000. In 2029—the final year of his contract—that figure would be around $2 million.

Klein following in the footsteps of Johnson and Eberle

Klein, who impressed with the Michigan Wolverines as both a receiving and blocking tight end, could be the third German player to play in the NFL for the Houston Texans. Fullback Jakob Johnson played a total of seven games for the franchise in 2025, but his future remains completely uncertain.

Kicker Dominik Eberle made his NFL debut for the Texans in 2021, contributing two field goals and five extra points to the 41-29 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. After a few brief stints in the NFL, he returned to Europe in 2024.

Offensive tackle Kilian Zierer signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but never made the roster, partly due to injuries. He is currently making a fresh start with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Klein’s prospects for playing time are far better, despite stiff competition. He will likely compete with the other tight ends for the backup role behind Dalton Schultz. Thanks in part to his impressive Combine performance, he begins his NFL journey as the third-highest-drafted German. Only Björn Werner (24th pick in the 2013 draft) and Sebastian Vollmer (58th pick in the 2009 draft) were selected higher.