Linebacker Justin Houston has been activated from the PUP list, as ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. However, Houston’s status for this Sunday’s game against the Panthers is still uncertain.
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“We’ll see how he does this week,” Reid said on Monday. “He’ll let me know on that, how he feels. He’s obviously been cleared to play, but there is more to it than that. You have to make sure that you’re right and you have opportunities to practice and get yourself back. We’re not in a hurry there. We just want to make sure he’s safe going out there and playing.”
Houston, who has missed the duration of the 2016 campaign while recovering from an ACL injury, was cleared to practice in mid-October. Under the rules of the physically unable to perform list, a player must be activated within three weeks of starting practice again, or else be kept on reserve PUP (essentially injured reserve) for the remainder of the year. Houston, therefore, will take up a roster spot regardless of whether he plays this weekend, and Kansas City already cleared a place by waiving cornerback Terrance Mitchell earlier today.
One of the league’s top pass rushers, Houston inked a six-year, $101MM extension with the Chiefs last summer, but was hampered by injuries in the first year of his new deal. After leading the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, Houston still played very well in 2015, but totaled just 7.5 sacks in 11 games. The outside linebacker also showed some versatility by grabbing a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.