The vibes for the Carolina Panthers are much different heading into the first season under coach Frank Reich’s guidance. Several established longtime vets have joined the roster, and now Justin Houston becomes the latest potential impact player to join the fray.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers have signed Houston to a one-year contract. Houston, 34, has made one All-Pro team and has four Pro Bowl nods to his name across 14 NFL seasons. He entered the NFL as the 70th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and enjoyed eight years with the team.
Then Houston spent two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before being with the Baltimore Ravens for the last two. Coming off a 9.5 sack campaign despite playing just 44% of the team’s snaps, there’s hope the pass-rusher can form a dynamic duo with Brian Burns in Carolina.
Even though his skills may be declining, Houston has still shown he can get the job done. Plus, it’s not like the NFL’s fourth-ranked active career sacks leader has forgotten how to get to the QB. With 111.5 sacks in his career, Houston is a certified sack artist.
Although first-year pro Bryce Young is set to take the reins at quarterback in a weakened NFC South, one could argue the Panthers are in a bit of a win-now mode with all the capable vets the team has added. How far the Panthers go will greatly depend not only on how prepared their rookie QB is but also on how much his teammates can help do their part. We’ll see what type of impact Houston can have in Carolina.
Related: Do the Carolina Panthers make the playoffs in our NFL playoff predictions?