The Detroit Lions appeared to find a diamond in the rough when they drafted linebacker James Houston in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. But now entering his third season, it doesn’t appear to be guaranteed that Houston will make Detroit’s Week 1 roster.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell implied to reporters following the team’s 24-17 preseason finale victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers that Houston is on the roster bubble.
“That’s gonna be a hard decision for Brad [Holmes] and myself,” said Campbell, via The Detroit News’ Nolan Bianchi.
Houston has been a very productive player from a pass rushing standpoint in his short NFL career. In just nine games from 2022-23, he recorded 8 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
But injuries have become a major storyline in his career as well. Houston missed most of last season because of a fractured ankle. He also dealt with a bone bruise in one of his knees this preseason.
The NFL’s final roster cutdown day is Tuesday, August 27. The Lions will have to determine if Houston is worthy of a roster spot by then.
Lions’ LB James Houston Helped His Cause With Sack Against Steelers
Some Lions fans on X (formerly Twitter) took Campbell’s admission that Houston is on the roster bubble as an indication that he will not make the roster. But Houston did his best to make the decision truly a hard one.
Houston cleanly beat Steelers right tackle Spencer Anderson for a sack during the second quarter on August 24.
“James Houston in the backfield for the sack,” the official Lions X account tweeted as a caption for the play.
In addition to the sack, Houston registered 2 quarterback hits and 3 total tackles against Pittsburgh.
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