Two days after pulling off a 9-7 upset of the Atlanta Falcons, the Carolina Panthers have made a roster move.
The Panthers granted four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Justin Houston his release Tuesday.
Carolina issued a press release announcing the news Tuesday afternoon, confirming Houston requested his release and that he “also came here in large part because of former coach Frank Reich (whom he played for in Indianapolis), and the move gives him a chance to latch on with a playoff contender for the final month of the regular season.”
Houston has been out since early November as he nurses a hamstring injury. Still, there will almost certainly be a postseason-bound team interested in his services as they look to add depth heading into the playoffs.
The Kansas City Chiefs originally drafted Houston in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was named a Pro Bowler every year between 2012-15 and named a First Team All-Pro following the 2014 season, a season which saw Houston record a Chiefs-record 22 sacks (just a half sack away from tying Michael Strahan’s NFL record of 22.5) and four forced fumbles. He has forced an NFL-record four safeties in his career.
Houston has recorded 112 career sacks, placing him third among active players and 26th all-time in NFL history.
