Justin Houston just missed the single-season sack record in 2014, notching 22 in his contract year, and he and the Kansas City Chiefs are working on a deal.
It was the mother of all contract years for Justin Houston.
The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker led the NFL with 22 sacks—just a half-sack off the NFL single-season mark of 22½ set by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan of the New York Giants in 2001—and the team and Houston are reportedly going to try again to work out a new deal in advance of free agency next month.
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Pro Football Talk reported Sunday morning that Houston’s agent, Joel Segal, will make another attempt at coming to terms with the Chiefs on a long-term deal before the team can apply the franchise tag beginning Monday.
Houston had been expected to sign the franchise tender, but still wants to get a long-term deal done.
The franchise tag number for linebackers in 2014 was $11.455 million. The 2015 numbers should be released in the next two weeks.
If Houston signs the franchise tender, the Chiefs would have to offer him a 20 percent raise in 2016 and a 44 percent increase in 2017 or allow him to enter free agency.
Houston was a third-round pick out of Georgia in the 2011 NFL Draft and played last season for $645,000—the final year of his rookie contract.
But he far exceeded that deal. In four seasons, Houston has 48½ sacks, 235 tackles, 19 passes defensed, one interception and seven forced fumbles.
Houston tied for third in the NFL in 2014 with four forced fumbles, one behind league co-leaders Ryan Kerrigan of the Washington Redskins and Robert Quinn of the St. Louis Rams.
He was an All-Pro selection for the first time in 2014 and made his third consecutive Pro Bowl and he just turned 26 last month.
Houston had 20 sacks and 38 tackles for loss in three seasons at Georgia, including 10 as a junior in 2010 before declaring for the draft.
His draft stock fell after he failed a drug test at the draft combine in 2011. But there have been no issues since he entered the league and the Chiefs got a first-round talent with a third-round pick—always a great deal if you can find it.
He’s had no off-the-field issues since entering the league, which can’t be said of two of the pass-rushing linebackers who went in the top 10 in the 2011 draft—Von Miller of the Denver Broncos and Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers.
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