Justin Houston gets six-year, $101 million extension from Chiefs
Justin Houston is going to be a Kansas City Chief for years to come.
A source told The Star on Wednesday that Houston has agreed to a six-year, $101 million extension with the Chiefs that will not only make him the highest-paid Chief ever, but also one of the highest-paid defensive players in football.
“Today we were able to reach an agreement with Justin and his agent, Joel Segal, to keep him here in Kansas City for the foreseeable future,” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said. “He’s one of the top players in the National Football League and a premier pass rusher. As we’ve said from the beginning, Justin the football player, and the person, is someone we wanted to be a part of our organization. We are very happy that he will remain a member of the Chiefs.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news first.
The deal, which includes $52.5 million guaranteed, makes him the second-highest paid NFL defensive player behind Miami’s Ndamukong Suh (six years, $114 million). It tops the one Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt, who needed an iconic season to beat Houston out for defensive player of the year in 2014, received last September, when he inked a six-year, $100 million extension with $51.8 million guaranteed.
“John, Joel and their staffs did a great job of getting this deal done,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “Justin has a relentless work ethic on the field and in the classroom, and he provides our team with tremendous leadership. He is a fearless competitor, and we are glad he is going to be back.”
Wednesday marked the NFL’s deadline for franchise players to sign long-term extensions with their clubs.
Had the 26-year-old Houston, who received a $13.1 million franchise tender from the Chiefs this offseason, not agreed to a long-term deal, he would have had to play out the 2015 season on the tender or on a one-year deal he negotiated with the team to earn an accrued year toward free agency.
Houston, however, would have been no obligation to sign the franchise tender immediately. In the absence of a long-term deal, Houston could have held off on signing the tender, skipped training camp and the preseason and returned shortly before the regular season and still commanded his full franchise salary.
However, after much wrangling between the Chiefs and Houston’s agent, Joel Segal, over the past year — the two sides have been negotiating — they managed to avoid that scenario with a record-setting deal that will keep Houston under contract through 2020.
Houston has skipped organized team activities for the past two offseasons, but over the past several months, the Chiefs’ top decision makers — chairman Clark Hunt, coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey — have consistently remained positive about a deal getting done.
Now Houston, who had a cap number of $1.4 million when he racked up a league- and career-high 22 sacks last season, is finally getting his money. And with a new contract now in hand, will be required to report to training camp on time.
Veterans report to camp in St. Joseph on July 31.