Getty Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Justin Houston celebrates a 2021 sack.
The Baltimore Ravens announced the re-signing of outside linebacker Justin Houston on July 7, a move that has long been expected since the team placed the unrestricted free agent tag on the 11-year veteran in May.
The four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher will return for his second season in Baltimore after starting 15 games in 2021 and recording 4.5 sacks – including the 100th of his career – and one forced fumble. He also served as a key mentor for first-round pick Odafe Oweh during his rookie season and provided much-needed leadership for Baltimore’s defense as a whole.
Houston will rejoin a Ravens outside linebacker room that was already extremely depleted before the tragic death of Jaylon Ferguson last month. 2021 sack leader Tyus Bowser is still working his way back from an Achilles tear, as is 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo. Even Oweh was limited in OTAs due to offseason shoulder surgery, forcing the Ravens to sign veterans Vince Biegel and Steven Means in recent weeks.
Houston represents a serious upgrade over those signings, though, after notching a top-20 edge defender grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021. His 40 quarterback pressures tied with Bowser for second on the Ravens last year despite one of the lowest snap counts of his career. If Houston can convert more of those pressures into sacks in 2022, the Ravens’ pass rush will likely be able to generate enough production until Bowser and Ojabo return to the field.