AFC West Update
Today marked the NFL deadline for players tendered the Franchise Tag to sign a long-term extension and the Kansas City Chiefs and premiere pass rusher, Justin Houston managed to agree to a 6-year $101 million deal with $52.5 million guaranteed prior to that deadline. The historical deal comes on the heels of a 22 sack 2014 campaign in which Houston came a 1/2 sack shy of matching Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record. This deal makes the 26-year-old Houston the highest-paid Chief ever and second only to Ndamakung Suh in terms of highest-paid defenders in the NFL. Houston had threatened to hold out if a long-term deal wasn’t reached in time in lieu of signing the $13.1 million Franchise Tag for outside linebackers (of the 3/4; pass rush specialist variety). With this deal in place the Chiefs will have the formidable duo of Houston and Tamba Hali harassing opposing quarterbacks for at least one more year.
