Justin Houston's NFL career will see another year -- or at least another training camp.
Houston is signing a one-year deal with the Ravens worth up to $4 million, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. The team later announced the signing.
Once seen as a premier edge rusher in Kansas City, Houston spent the last two seasons in Indianapolis, where he recorded 19 sacks and 21 tackles for loss between 2019 and 2020. While not quite the player he was at his peak, Houston has at least proven himself to be reliable when it comes to bringing down the quarterback, especially considering he's played 65 percent or less of total defensive snaps in each of his last two campaigns.
Having said that, Houston is experiencing a regression common with aging in the NFL. After posting a quarterback pressure percentage of 15.1 percent in his final season in Kansas City (2018), Houston hasn't broken 12 percent in a campaign. His disruption percentage has also fallen over the last two seasons from a high of 16.4 percent to 13.4 percent in 2019 and 11.6 percent in 2020, per Next Gen Stats.
Houston has become more of a pass-rushing specialist in his last two seasons, playing on at least 95.1 percent of possible pass rushes in Indianapolis in 2019 and 2020. That helps explain his sack total, which is still valuable even as his pressure and disruption rates have fallen.
Such value earned Houston another contract with a team in need of edge-rushing help. He'll likely end up occupying a similar role with the Ravens, who list veterans Calais Campbell, Derek Wolfe and Pernell McPhee as the team's primary pass rushers.
With the Ravens planning to contend for the AFC crown once again, they're unafraid of adding experienced contributors. Houston is the latest to jump on Baltimore's bandwagon with the goal of helping the Ravens win the AFC North and more.
Training camp is finally here! Be sure to check outNFL Network's extensive live coverage, including Inside Training Camp every day and highlighted by Training Camp: Back Together Saturday Fueled by Gatorade on July 31.
