One of the league’s longest-tenured pass rushers is signing a new contract. Veteran Justin Houston will play his 12th season after signing a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Houston spent 2021 as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, registering 4.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and 17 quarterback hits. Since entering the NFL in 2011, the four-time Pro Bowler ranks fourth in sacks, eighth in tackles for loss, and 13th in QB hits. Houston turned 33 years old this past January.
Welcome back @JHouston50❗️
We’ve agreed to terms on a 1-year deal❗️ pic.twitter.com/VoB58dJodb
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 7, 2022
More Leaguewide News: Rob Gronkowski Announces Retirement
Justin Houston, Baltimore Ravens, Agree to Contract
Houston started his impressive career when the Kansas City Chiefs selected the former-Georgia Bulldog 70th-overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Houston excelled right away. He played in all 16 of the Chief’s regular-season games, making 10 starts while registering 5.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, and 10 tackles for loss.
Houston would go on to play eight years in Kansas City with his best season coming in 2014. In Houston’s fourth year as an NFL pro, he led the league in sacks and was named a First-Team All-Pro for the first and only time in his career. His 22.0 sacks and 23 tackles for loss were new franchise-highs for the Chiefs and his 25 QB hits still remain a career-high for Houston. He currently sits fourth on the all-time sack list in Kansas City.
Following the 2018 season, Houston signed a two-year contract with the Indianapolis Colts. At 30 years old, he registered his first double-digit sack season since his big 2014 campaign while adding 28 pressures, 13 tackles for loss, and a missed tackle percentage of just 4.3 percent. His 87.1 overall grade per Pro Football Focus was Houston’s highest in a single season since 2015.
Since leaving Kansas City, Houston has turned into a more rotational pass rusher as opposed to every-down EDGE. His snaps have decreased every season since 2017. However, he can still provide great value to any team looking to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
