The Kansas City Chiefs and Justin Houston are looking to get a long-term extension done before tomorrow’s deadline, and there is reportedly optimism that a deal will get done. Whether or not that ends up happening or not is a completely different question. Houston is currently set to play the season under the Chiefs’ franchise tag, but that certainly isn’t where either side would prefer him to be.
Of all franchise tag situations, Justin Houston & #Chiefs have the most optimism. Nothing is certain, but they have made a big commitment
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 14, 2015
Needless to say, getting Houston locked up long-term would be in the best interest for the Chiefs. He is the captain of their defense, and is one of the best playmakers on the defensive side of the football in the NFL.
During the 2014 season with the Chiefs, Houston ended up recording 68 tackles, 22.0 sacks and four forced fumbles. Those numbers show exactly why Kansas City has to get something done, and they have made it clear that they don’t want to play with fire. Finding a deal that fits both sides won’t be easy, but they are working hard together and it is obvious that they are on the same page and have been making progress.
At 26 years old, Houston still has a lot of excellent high quality football left in his career. Kansas City has seen him be a consistent pass rushing threat over the past three seasons, although he took his game to a completely new level last year.
Looking ahead to the 2015 season, the Chiefs will need their defense to step up in order to compete in a very tough conference. The Indianapolis Colts have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL, and Houston will be the Chiefs’ only hope to put pressure on superstar quarterback Andrew Luck. It is going to be fun to watch him to say the least.
Expect to hear plenty more rumors surrounding this contract situation over the next 12 hours or more. Kansas City and Houston have just a matter of hours left to figure out a deal, and it will be intriguing to see whether or not they can come together on a fair contract. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this contract get done, and this type of a report is certainly an encouraging sign for the Chiefs and their fans.
