Could the Chicago Bears finally be on the verge of signing an edge rusher? According to ESPN 1000 host Peggy Kusinski, the team is showing interest in veteran Justin Houston.
NFL source confirms #ChicagoBears are among the teams interested in Pass Rusher Justin Houston a 4X Pro Bowler familiar to GM Ryan Poles in … https://t.co/oTnG95GmDb
— Peggy Kusinski (@peggykusinski) July 25, 2023
Houston is one of a handful of players who has been linked to the Bears as a potential upgrade to their pass rush over the last couple of months. The 34-year old made a name for himself with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he became a dynamic pass rusher. Houston earned four consecutive Pro Bowl berths and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2014. Bears general manager Ryan Poles got to know Houston well as he was in the Chiefs front office during his peak.
After eight years and 78.5 sacks with the Chiefs, Houston joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2019. He played under current Bears head coach Matt Eberflus for two seasons and totaled 21 sacks in that time. Eberflus was the Colts defensive coordinator from 2018-2021.
Most recently, Houston spent the last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Despite coming off the bench for the majority of the season, Houston totaled 21 tackles (seven for a loss), 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. Now he’s looking for a new team and the Bears are an ideal fit.
Though Houston won’t provide the same impact he had earlier in his career, his presence would be a boost for a struggling Bears pass rush that totaled just 20 sacks last season. He could come off the bench in obvious passing situations, pin his ears back, and rush the quarterback, while also serving as a mentor for young players such as Trevis Gipson and Dominque Robinson.
The Bears and Houston make sense on paper given the familiarity with Poles and Eberflus, but will the sides align on a deal? Kusinski reports it could come down to money and it’s a waiting game at this point. But if the Bears want to upgrade their defensive line, now is the time as they get ready to begin training camp practices on Wednesday.
