Justin Houston placed on PUP list, out six weeks

Justin Houston has been placed on the PUP list due to an ACL injury. He’ll be out six weeks for the Kansas City Chiefs to start the 2016 NFL season.

According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Kansas City Chiefs will be without star pass rusher Justin Houston for the first six weeks of the season. Houston has been placed on the PUP list.

While Rapoport points out that the Chiefs “are hopeful for a midseason return”, Kansas City will be without one of the best defensive players in the game until mid-October. Fortunately for the Chiefs, they’ll have an early Week 5 bye this season. This would mean that Houston might only end up missing five games for Kansas City this fall.

Houston will be able to come off the PUP list in Week 7 when the Chiefs host the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium on October 23rd. Bob Sutton’s defense will have to account for three Pro Bowl quarterbacks in the first six weeks during Houston’s absence.

Week 1 will have Philip Rivers of the San Diego Chargers coming to town. San Diego will probably be the worst team in the AFC West this season, but Rivers is a near Hall of Fame caliber quarterback still in his prime.

Week 4 might be tough for Kansas City. The Chiefs will have to play Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football on October 2nd.

Kansas City will have a Week 5 bye before an important AFC West rivalry game against the Oakland Raiders in Week 6. This game will be in Oakland and Derek Carr’s Raiders are ready to push for the AFC Playoffs this fall.

Next: 2016 NFL season: Record predictions for all 32 teams

The Chiefs’s 2016 schedule is consistent all year, with good and bad teams scattered without. As fast start will only amplify a mid-season return by Houston for the Chiefs.