Dolphins signing former Chiefs star before Wild Card game reeks of desperation

What makes Saturday's playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins a must-watch game for all NFL fans despite the epic quarterback battle is the return of Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins superstar wide receiver is making his return to Kansas City after spending the first six years of his career with the Chiefs.

While all eyes will be on Hill, it turns out that he's not the only one to make a big return this weekend. The Dolphins reportedly signed former Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston on Tuesday according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, giving them depth at a position they were sorely lacking.

Houston spent each of his first eight seasons as a member of the Chiefs, making the Pro Bowl four times and even putting together a 22-sack season, just 0.5 sacks away from tying Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22.5. Now, Houston will have the chance to knock off his old team with his brand new squad.

Dolphins signing Justin Houston reeks of desperation

If this was a decade ago, the Dolphins would be getting the best defensive player in the sport. Even if this was last season, the Dolphins would be adding a player who recorded 9.5 sacks for the Ravens. Unfortunately for them this is 2024, and Houston appears to finally be on his last legs at age 34.

The 13-year veteran began this past season on the Carolina Panthers, but he struggled. He had just 0.5 sacks and two pressures in his seven games with the Panthers, playing 41% of their defensive snaps. With Carolina going nowhere they wound up releasing him in the middle of December, and Houston was free to sign with any contender after he cleared waivers.

With Jaelan Phillips already out with a season-ending injury and Bradley Chubb joining him, the Dolphins needed to add to their pass rush. Houston is far from the player he once was, but at least he provides some sort of a veteran presence to Miami's front seven. The Dolphins also hope the former Chief has some added motivation to beat his old squad.

The chances of this signing adding much of anything are probably slim, as Houston has not appeared in a game in over two months, and was struggling when given a chance to play. This does appear to be Miami grasping at straws hoping something sticks with such a glaring need. It's hard to fault the Dolphins for doing something, but it's also hard to ignore the obvious desperation here.