The Chiefs will soon get some good news on defense.
Justin Houston has gotten the green light to resume football activity, head team trainer Rick Burkholder announced Wednesday.
The Chiefs placed their sack master on the PUP list to start the season, guaranteeing that he would be out for at least six weeks. Houston has not been officially removed from PUP yet, according to the Chiefs. The team added that the earliest Houston can come off the PUP list is Tuesday, and then he will have a 21-day window to practice before having to be made active.
Houston, like Jamaal Charles (a full participant in practice for the first time Wednesday), will no doubt be eased in to the fold. Given the team's current production on defense -- Dee Ford leads the Chiefs with 1.5 sacks and the team has five total -- coordinator Bob Sutton cannot take any chances when it comes to his star pass rusher. Houston has 29.5 sacks over his previous two seasons, but underwent offseason surgery on his ACL this past February.
Just 27, Houston still has a lot of football ahead of him, and the six-year, $101 million contract he signed last year ensures he'll be doing so in Kansas City. Per the rules regarding the PUP list, Houston could play next week against the Saints though we likely are looking a little further down the road for his official debut.
