Breaking news: James Houston is waived by the Detroit Lions because “sometimes you just need a fresh start.”
Even though he was racking up sacks at a remarkable clip in the second half of his rookie season, James Houston never seemed to fit in with the Detroit Lions defence. And the Lions made the decision to let him go a few days prior to their Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears.
Two days after he only played four defensive snaps in the team’s 24-6 victory against the Indianapolis Colts, Houston was dismissed by the Lions on Tuesday. “It just never quite worked out,” expressed Lions coach Dan Campbell in Allen Park on Tuesday. “And look, wish him the best of luck, and sometimes you just need a fresh start and this could be great for him, so wish him the best.”
After beginning the season on the practice squad, Houston, a sixth-round pick out of Jackson State in 2022, had eight sacks in seven games as a rookie and has since recorded one sack in ten games. He was limited to two games during the regular season after fracturing his ankle on special teams in Week 2 of 2023, failed as a run defender, and never took to the strong-side linebacker position, despite winning a backup role out of training camp.
