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Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston has agreed in principle to a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on July 7.
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Following the draft, Baltimore had tendered Houston, 33, meaning he had until a certain date to come to an agreement on a deal with another NFL team, otherwise, he would have to sign a deal with the Ravens. So, Houston will now run it back with Baltimore after playing the 2021 season with them as well.
Houston entered the NFL as a third-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2011 draft. He would spend eight years in Kansas City, earning four Pro Bowl nods and being named an All-Pro once. His best season in a Chiefs uniform came during his All-Pro season (2014), in when he recorded 25 QB hits, 23 tackles for loss and 22 sacks, which is a single-season record for Kansas City.
After the 2018 season, Kansas City decided to part ways with Houston, so the veteran linebacker joined forces with the Indianapolis Colts. He spent two seasons with them before then joining the Ravens.
Twitter Reacts to Houston Signing With Ravens
Twitter users began tweeting about Houston once the news that he signed with Baltimore broke.
“I was today years old when I found out Justin Houston is still a solid NFL edge rusher. I thought dude was done after his Chiefs days were over,” one user wrote.
“justin houston used to be so cold with the chiefs mann,” another user wrote.
“Justin Houston off the edge with the push from Pierce or T Jones. Shewweee. This is gonna be fun. Come on EDC, go get JPP too. I mean there is a reason he is still out there,” another user wrote.
Chiefs C Creed Humphrey Issues Message to AFC West Rivals
With the additions of players such as Davante Adams, Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack and Russell Wilson to the AFC West, there’s some pessimism regarding how the defending division champion Kansas City Chiefs will fare in 2022.
While the Chiefs did lose Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, they added several playmakers and still have Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones, to name a few. That’s why players like second-year center Creed Humphrey, PFF’s highest-graded center in the NFL last season, are embracing the increased level of competition in the division heading into the 2022 season.
“Everybody’s added some really good pieces and it’s going to be a blast,” Humphrey told SiriusXM NFL Radio about the AFC West on July 2. “It’s a tough division already and when they’ve added these pieces, it’s just going to be even tougher. That’s fun for us.
“We embrace the competition, so we’re really excited about it. There will be some tough games. But you know if you’re coming out of there, you have a chance to really be able to compete with anybody. So, we’re really excited about it.”
Even though every other team in the division added high-profile players this offseason, there’s one thing that the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos don’t have that the Chiefs do: experience from the team’s core players.
Kansas City has made deep playoff runs every season since Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018. That experience has not only padded the resumes of Chiefs veterans, but it has also given those players familiarity when it comes to winning the division, making extended playoff runs and, most importantly, winning a Super Bowl. That’s something that none of the other three AFC West teams have.
Because of this, the Chiefs, who are coached by Andy Reid, one of the winningest head coaches in NFL history, should still be the favorite to win the division until proven otherwise.
READ MORE:
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- New Chiefs WR Explains Why He’ll Blossom in 2022
- Chiefs C Creed Humphrey Issues Message to AFC West Rivals