The Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday afternoon announced their decision not to bring back former Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson.
In the wake of that move, the Chiefs have also clarified that they plan on keeping All-Pro linebacker Justin Houston on the roster for the 2018 season, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, linebacker Justin Houston won’t be among those getting a one-way ticket out of town.
The 29-year-old is coming off a respectable 2017 campaign where he recorded 9.5 sacks while playing in 15 games with his only missed action being in the season finale where the Chiefs decided to rest many of their key players ahead of the playoffs. Although Houston has experienced a notable drop in production over the last couple of seasons, he is still regarded as being one of the top players in the league at his position.
He has three more years left on his six-year, $101 million deal that is backloaded paying him $60.7 million in salary and bonuses over the remainder of the contract. He will make $20 million in base salary and bonuses next season which would make him is the highest-paid player on the team.
If the Chiefs were to consider parting ways with Houston via a release or trade over the offseason ahead of training camp, he holds $12.7 million in dead money. He would hit the open market as a one of the highly sought out players more than likely drawing another lucrative deal due to being a premier pass rusher in the prime of his career.
Houston has spent his first seven years in the league with the Chiefs earning four Pro Bowl selections, a First-Team All-Pro nod, and set the franchise single-season record with 22.0 sacks. He is currently fourth all-time in team history with 69.5 sacks while recording double-digit sacks three times.