Justin Houston - Pro Football Rumors

West Notes: Lockett, Kelly, Rams, Houston

December 26th, 2016 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Lockett underwent surgery today to repair a broken right leg he suffered during the Seahawks‘ loss to the Cardinals on Saturday, but the wide receiver avoided any further damage. The second-year player avoided ligament damage, Pete Carroll said (via Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk, on Twitter).

The tibia and fibula bones breaking through Lockett’s skin provided the Seahawks with some urgency to complete this surgery as soon as possible to prevent infection, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. Per Carroll, Lockett should be up and moving in four-to-six weeks. However, the team does not expect the receiver to return should it make a third Super Bowl trip in four years, and Lockett will likely head to IR to open up a roster spot, per Condotta.

Seattle has already made a roster move involving a wide receiver, Condotta reports (on Twitter), so that would point to Lockett venturing on IR as another pass-catcher rises to the 53-man roster. Seventh-round rookie Kenny Lawler and 2015 UDFA Kasen Williams comprise the receiver contingent on the Seahawks’ practice squad.

Here’s more from the West divisions as Week 16 winds down.

Chip Kelly says he hasn’t had discussions with 49ers ownership about his status for 2017, but the first-year San Francisco coach figures to do so once season ends Sunday, Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group reports (on Twitter). Both Kelly and GM Trent Baalke are on thin ice after this 49ers season included a 13-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history.
The Rams are considering moving Greg Robinson to guard for Week 17 against the Cardinals, interim coach John Fassel said (per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Robinson started 35 straight games at left tackle for the Rams and has led the NFL with 31 penalties since the start of the 2015 season. Gonzalez writes the Rams may have already moved on from Robinson at left tackle after two different head coaches deactivated him in the past two weeks. The Rams used the No. 2 pick on Robinson in 2014 and are in danger of seeing next to nothing from another No. 2 overall tackle. Then-St. Louis abandoned the Jason Smith experiment after three seasons in 2011, giving Smith 26 starts.
Andy Reid said Justin Houston experienced swelling in his surgically repaired knee, leading to the Chiefs deactivating him on Christmas night. When asked about the possibility Houston could miss the playoffs, the fourth-year Chiefs coach said the team “will take it day by day and see.” Houston, who was severely limited during Kansas City’s two-game stay in last year’s AFC bracket, missed 10 games this season after offseason ACL surgery. “It felt a little bit better than it did the day before. He felt like things were getting better,” Reid said of Houston, via Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star. “That’s what we’re going on here. It’s just a matter of that thing calming down a little bit and he’ll be back.”
Gary Kubiak said he will make a decision on Paxton Lynch starting Week 17 for the Broncos soon, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post reports. The defending Super Bowl champions are now eliminated from the playoffs, and this season finale against the Raiders would give the first-rounder a third start in advance of an offseason where he’ll be expected to compete with Trevor Siemian for the 2017 starting job. Although, Siemian seems to have the leg up despite being previously viewed as a stopgap solution.

Zach Links contributed to this report

Justin Houston Expected To Miss Week 16

December 25th, 2016 at 9:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs possess a clearer path to the AFC’s No. 2 seed with Derek Carr no longer in the equation for the Raiders, but they look set to have to complete the first leg of that journey without their best defender.

Justin Houston is not expected to play on Christmas night against the Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link) report.

Given a questionable designation by the Chiefs after not practicing this week, Houston has played in the past five games since being activated in advance of Week 11. Kansas City’s cornerstone defender has registered four sacks since returning from knee surgery this offseason, with three of those coming against the Broncos in the teams’ first 2016 meeting. The pass-rushing onus against a vulnerable Broncos offensive line stands to fall on Dee Ford and Tamba Hali, who got in one limited practice this week.

Before missing the first nine Chiefs games this season, Houston missed the final five games of the Chiefs’ 2015 campaign and was ineffective while attempting to play through an injury in the team’s two playoff contests. This obviously bears monitoring as the playoffs near considering the outside linebacker’s impact and recent history with knee problems.

The Broncos are set to be without defenders T.J. Ward and Brandon Marshall, with the Chiefs already missing two starting defensive linemen and Derrick Johnson, so neither team will be as healthy as it was in the rivals’ Week 12 overtime showcase.

AFC Notes: Pryor, RG3, Chiefs, Chargers

November 16th, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With his contract set to expire at season’s end, Browns receiver Terrelle Pryor is amid a breakout year at the right time. He and the Browns have already begun extension talks, but re-signing the former quarterback is going to be costly for the club. The 27-year-old Pryor could be in line for a deal similar to the one the Rams signed wideout Tavon Austin to in August ($10.55MM-plus per year with $28.5MM in guarantees), according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (Twitter link). Despite being on the NFL’s worst team, one that has shuffled through five QBs, Pryor has totaled 51 catches for 627 yards and four touchdowns. Along with Pryor’s solid production, it’ll help his earning power that he’s big (6-foot-4, 223 pounds) and fast (4.4 speed), as Corry notes.

More from Cleveland a pair of other AFC cities:

One of the signal-callers the Browns have used, Robert Griffin III, was cleared for non-contact practice Wednesday, per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com (via Twitter). Griffin didn’t participate, though, as he hasn’t yet been designated to return. RG3 has been sidelined since suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 1. The Browns put Griffin on injured reserve with the hope that they could take advantage of the new IR rules and bring him back later in the season.
When asked about a possible return to the field this week for linebacker Justin Houston, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “We’re heading in that direction” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The Chiefs activated the pass-rusher extraordinaire from the PUP list last Wednesday, but he sat out their 20-17 win over the Panthers on Sunday. Houston was a full participant in practice Wednesday for the first time this year, though, which bodes well for his return from an ACL injury, notes Adam Teichner of ESPN.com.
The Chargers worked out linebackers Kevin Snyder, Ryan Langford and Reshard Cliett on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Nobody from that group has suited up for a regular-season game in the NFL.
The Chiefs tried out former Cal receiver Kenny Lawler on Tuesday, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). Lawler didn’t join the Chiefs, however – he instead re-signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad Wednesday.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Justin Houston, Jeremy Maclin Out Sunday

November 11th, 2016 at 4:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although the Chiefs activated linebacker Justin Houston from the physically unable to perform list Wednesday, he won’t play Sunday in Carolina, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com was among those to report (Twitter links). Houston has been recovering from an ACL injury that has kept him out all season, but he didn’t suffer a setback this week, per Teicher. Instead, the Chiefs want to give the pass-rushing force another week to work his way back.

Kansas City has impressively gone 6-2 without Houston, who has racked up 56 sacks and eight forced fumbles in 70 career games. Its defense could use a reinforcement, though, as it currently hovers around league average in DVOA (11th), yardage allowed (16th), quarterback hurries (20th) and sacks (21st). Four of the Chiefs’ final eight games are against AFC West foes, including a pair of matchups with the 6-3 Broncos, so Houston’s eventual return could make a significant impact in what should be a tightly contested division race.

In addition to Houston, the Chiefs won’t have No. 1 receiver Jeremy Maclin in Carolina, head coach Andy Reid said Friday (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). Maclin left in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ game against the Jaguars last Sunday with a groin injury, but the team managed to pull off a 19-14 win without him and quarterback Alex Smith. The latter will be back in Kansas City’s lineup this week, but he’ll have to make do without the club’s top wideout. Among Chiefs, Maclin trails only tight end Travis Kelce in catches (30) and receiving yards (376). Maclin leads the team in targets (56) and has scored a pair of touchdowns.

Chiefs Activate Justin Houston

November 9th, 2016 at 4:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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.

La Canfora’s Latest: Trades, Collins, Harvin

November 6th, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at the latest deluge of notes from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

La Canfora confirms that the Eagles and 49ers had multiple discussions about a potential trade that would send Torrey Smith to Philadelphia, but the two sides could not agree on compensation. The Eagles would have sent a fifth-round selection back to the Bay Area in exchange for Smith, but the 49ers would not consider anything less than a third-round draft choice. Likewise, the Jets were asking for a “very strong return” for Sheldon Richardson, which some executives believe meant a first-round pick.
The Patriots‘ decision to deal Jamie Collins was not about money, per La Canfora, who observes that New England now has only $65.8MM in salary and cash committed to the 2017 payroll, by far the least in the NFL. Indeed, the Pats could have easily paid (or overpaid) for Collins if they really wanted to, but the trade suggests that Collins was simply not in their long-term plans. Some industry sources wonder if the trades of Collins and Chandler Jones suggest that New England is set to splurge in free agency, though it is difficult to imagine the Patriots being big spenders in March. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that the Pats did not consider Collins to be a part of their future, and that the team was slowly turning him into a part-time player and was concerned about the locker room issues that such a transformation could create (Twitter links).
Percy Harvin was not contemplating a return to the league when he was contacted by the Bills, La Canfora reports. Instead, the Florida product was happily retired and was investigating potential business deals. Buffalo senior vice president of football administration Bill Overdorf first raised the potential addition of Harvin several weeks ago, and other Bills executives got on board when the team suffered a second consecutive loss. Harvin is expected to see at least limited action Monday night in Seattle.
La Canfora reports that Chiefs brass is fully supportive of head coach Andy Reid‘s decision to keep Alex Smith out of game action this week, despite the fact that Smith remains asymptomatic of a concussion after taking two significant blows to the head last Sunday. Smith was able to lift weights regularly and work out as he normally would this week, and by Tuesday already had been cleared by an independent neurologist. However, Reid adopted a “better safe than sorry” approach that was heralded by team executives and by the NFLPA. Smith is expected to return to full practice tomorrow, which ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms via Twitter. Justin Houston is also expected to return next week, according to La Canfora.

Chiefs DE Allen Bailey Could Be Done For Year

October 17th, 2016 at 9:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs are worried that defensive end Allen Bailey could be done for the season due to a shoulder injury, tweets freelance NFL reporter Rand Getlin. Bailey missed time during yesterday’s victory over the Raiders, and after the game, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reported (via Twitter) that Bailey was dealing with a shoulder contusion.

Bailey, 27, is in the midst of his sixth season with Kansas City, but he’s only been a starter for the past two-plus years. After posting 9.5 sacks from 2014-15, Bailey had started all five games in 2016, but hadn’t posted exemplary results. According to Pro Football Focus, Bailey has graded as just the No. 94 interior defender among 116 qualifiers.

If Bailey is forced to miss an extended period of time, second-rookie Chris Jones would seem to be the next man up. Jones, the 37th overall pick in this year’s draft, has only played on roughly a quarter of Kansas City’s defensive snaps thus far, but that percentage would likely rise if Bailey is sidelined. Fellow lineman Nick Williams and Dadi Nicolas are also options to see more playing time.

Meanwhile, star linebacker Justin Houston was cleared to practice over the weekend, and was officially eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list today. Head coach Andy Reid expressed optimism on Houston’s status, telling reporters, including Paylor (Twitter link), that “we’re close” to Houston’s return to the field.

Justin Houston Cleared To Practice

October 12th, 2016 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston has been given the green light to resume practice activity, as ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher tweets. Houston is currently on the physically unable to perform list, but the team can take him off the list on Monday.

The Chiefs placed Houston on the PUP list to start the season, meaning that he would be out of action for at least six weeks. Once Houston is taken off of the PUP list, he will be allowed to practice for 21 days before the team has to activate him. The team is hoping that Houston will be able to hit the ground running, but it’s not immediately clear when he might make his in-game debut.

So far, the team has just five sacks through four games this season. KC needs Houston on the field, but they won’t rush him if he’s not ready. The Chiefs take on the rival Raiders this Sunday. Houston, in theory, could be activated on Sunday Oct. 23 against the Saints.

Chiefs Restructure Justin Houston’s Contract

September 14th, 2016 at 10:04am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have freed up some cap space with the help of outside linebacker Justin Houston. Houston has agreed to turn $7.5MM of his $14.9MM base salary into a bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The maneuvering will give KC an additional $6MM in cap space, money that was badly needed as the Chiefs were nearly at the max.

Houston signed a massive contract extension prior to the 2015 season, but he has been hampered by injuries since signing the six-year, $101MM deal. Unfortunately, the star linebacker is still sidelined and it is said that he will not be back until November at the earliest. One source tells Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that Week 9 is the earliest Houston could return to the field, though the team will reevaluate him during its Week 5 bye.

In 2014, Houston led the league with 22 sacks and earned his first All-Pro nod. Houston ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 outside linebacker in ’13 and ’14 and KC is eager to have him back on the field in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

La Canfora’s Latest: Brees, Romo, Cam

September 11th, 2016 at 11:20am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some of the latest news and notes from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

Drew Brees and the Saints agreed to an extension just a few days ago, but negotiations had stalled for months earlier this year prior to both sides finally striking an accord. During that time, Brees’ representatives began exploring potential suitors for 2017, and the Cardinals were the top team on their list (this was before Arizona inked Carson Palmer to his own extension). La Canfora’s sources also indicated that the Jets would have been interested in Brees had he hit the open market in 2017.
There is good news for Cowboys fans on the Tony Romo front, as La Canfora reports that Romo is making good progress from the fractured vertebrae he suffered in his back during the team’s third preseason game, and he is on track to play in Week 7. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (article via Kevin Patra of NFL.com) suggests that even if Romo is ready to go, he may not have a job to come back to. After speaking with team sources, Rapoport reports that the door is open, albeit slightly, for rookie Dak Prescott to impress enough to pull a Lou Gehrig and take Romo’s job on a permanent basis.
The NFLPA has asked for a formal investigation into the handling of the helmet-to-helmet hit that Panthers QB Cam Newton took on Thursday night’s season opener. The investigation will be conducted jointly by the NFL and NFLPA, and if the Association’s findings conflict with the league’s findings, the Association can appeal to a neutral arbitrator, who has the authority to discipline the Panthers and others who were responsible for Newton’s well-being (potential consequences include fines and loss of draft picks). The fact that an investigation has been initiated does not mean that that the league’s concussion protocol was applied improperly, it simply reflects an obligation to ensure the health and safety of the league’s players. This marks the first time the enforcement element of the protocol has been exercised (all links go to Twitter).
Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston, who signed a massive contract extension prior to the 2015 season, is still recovering from a significant knee injury and will not be back until November at the earliest, according to a team source. That source believes Week 9 is the earliest Houston could return to the field, though the team will reevaluate during its Week 5 bye.