Colts Reportedly Interested in Re-Signing Justin Houston
The Indianapolis Colts entered the new league year with a big need at defensive end, and a couple of weeks in, that hasn't changed.
According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, the team is interested in bringing back one of their own in order to help halt the problem in veteran free agent Justin Houston.
"Things remain fluid with veteran Justin Houston, who is still talking to the team and could be re-signed," Holder said. "The team is also in talks with several veteran edge players, according to a league source. A free-agent move before the draft is possible if not likely."
The Colts currently lack reliable options at defensive end, not just to count on as starters, but to consistently get to the quarterback.
In 2020, Houston started all 16 games for the Colts and tallied 645 snaps. He posted 25 tackles (8 for loss), 8.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumbles recovered, 12 quarterback hits, and 2 safeties.
Now 32 years old, Houston's snaps and productivity both dipped from his first season with the Colts in 2019 when he played 674 snaps and had 11.0 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Regardless of whether the Colts re-sign Houston or not, younger players like Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu, and Tyquan Lewis will continue to eat into his snaps, and that is especially true if the Colts draft a pass rusher in the first couple of days of the 2021 NFL Draft.
As Houston ages, he is getting further from the player that you can count on to produce double-digit sacks in a season, but for the sake of having a trusted asset at the defensive end position, re-signing Houston would make a lot of sense for the Colts.
