Kansas City Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston is having a career year, and it could mean a big pay day for one of the NFL’s best defensive players.
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Through eight games, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker has a league-high 12 sacks. Houston has emerged as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, and those are among the most high-priced players in the league.
This past offseason, Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt signed a six-year, $100 million contract with more than $50 million guaranteed. Robert Quinn and the St. Louis Rams agreed on a $57 million extension and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to a six-year, $95.2 million deal that’s comparable to that of Watt’s.
According to the National Football Post, we can expect Houston’s next contract to be in the ball park of those players.
"Signing Houston to a long-term deal is a priority for the Chiefs, but the two sides have been far apart when engaging in contract discussions, according to multiple reports. Houston’s productivity and recent developments with top tier defensive player salaries will make it more difficult for the Chiefs to reach an agreement with Houston, particularly before the end of this season. […]Houston’s agent, Joel Segal, will likely raise his demands because of Houston’s outstanding performance where he attempts to supplant Watt at the top of the non-quarterback market. Segal isn’t opposed to playing hardball with teams in contract talks. He substantially raised the bar for running back salaries by negotiating a four-year, $53.975 million extension on Chris Johnson’s behalf with the Tennessee Titans in 2011 to end his client’s 35-day holdout. Johnson’s deal at $13,493,750 per year averaged 56.5 percent more than the previous running back salary benchmark (Steven Jackson-$8,619,500 per year)."
The Chiefs can still use the franchise tag on Houston, which could make matters tough for him to sign a deal in that range.
However, Kansas City would have to give him a 20 percent increase the next season if they franchise him again. If the Chiefs want him on a long-term deal, it would be beneficial for them to lock him up sooner rather than later.
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