The Indianapolis Colts reached a contract agreement with veteran free agent pass rusher Justin Houston on Thursday in what will likely be their biggest signing of the new league year.
With a need to add to the pass rush, general manager Chris Ballard opted to wait until the first wave of free agency was over to find a potential suitor.
Here are five things to know about their new pass rusher in Houston:
Former third-round pick
Houston, 30, has been in the league for a while now. He first entered the NFL as a third-round pick with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
Houston immediately worked into the Chiefs defensive game plans as a rotational pass rusher. He played 16 games (10 starts) during his rookie season while recording 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
He quickly became a starter following a successful rookie season.
Illustrious career with the Chiefs
Houston quickly became known as one of the better pass rushers in the league during his time with the Chiefs. He was a starter by his second season in which he recorded his first double-digit sack campaign.
The Georgia product wound up having a strong tenure with the Chiefs before his release in 2018. Working as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense, Houston recorded three consecutive seasons with double-digit sacks (2012-14), which included his franchise-record 22.0 sacks in 2014.
Houston has many accolades from his time with the Chiefs. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a First Team All-Pro (2014) while recording 78.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles.
History with Ballard
While Houston was the top option on the market for the Colts in terms of pass rushers, there was the element of familiarity with general manager Chris Ballard.
Though Houston was there for two seasons before Ballard arrived, they did overlap for four seasons from 2013-16. This is plenty of time for Ballard to have gotten to know just what Houston is all about.
With a need at the pass rush, the familiarity likely played a role in the contract eventually getting done.
Contract details
Though it isn’t official yet, the reports are that Houston is coming to the Colts on a two-year deal worth $24 million, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Money was never really an issue for the Colts this offseason as they entered free agency with the most salary cap space in the league, but Houston gets a nice payday while giving Indy an upgrade.
Role with the Colts
Coming from a 3-4 alignment in Kansas City, it remains to be seen just how the Colts will use him. It is likely that they convert him to a defensive end working with his hand in the dirt, but the true aspect the Colts are most concerned with his ability to get after the quarterback.
The Colts saw an improvement in their pass rush, but they were still only a middling unit registering 33.0 sacks, good for 19th in the NFL.
Dealing with injuries lately, it might suit Houston best to work more in a specific role as a pass rusher while providing leadership in the locker room.
