Ravens Officially Sign Justin Houston to One-Year Deal

Baltimore needs veteran pass rusher.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens officially reached a one-year deal with outside linebacker Justin Houston, the team announced Aug. 2. 

.@JHouston50 put pen to paper 🔥 pic.twitter.com/n47EwtGjEx

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 2, 2021

The contract is reportedly worth up to $4 million.  

Houston, 32, has made the Pro Bowl four times and recorded at least eight sacks in each of the past four seasons.

Houston reportedly turned down multiple offers from other teams to sign with Baltimore.

“I feel like he’s a proven player," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I had a chance to talk to him a lot in the last number of months. He really wanted to be here. He wanted to be here months ago. For it to work out the way it did, I just compliment him, his agent and [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] for getting it done. A number of players, Marcus Peters and he are very close. 

"I know Marcus has been working on him to get him here for a while. Even in the last couple of days, Marcus made a couple visits over my way to make a couple calls. So, we have a role for him, and he has a chance to really help us. So, I’m excited about it."

The one glaring weakness on the Ravens roster was a veteran pass rusher. The team has talent at every other position and has Super Bowl aspirations this season.

Matt Judon, who led the team with six sacks last season, signed a new deal with the Patriots as a free agent. 

Yannick Ngakoue signed with the Raiders after finishing with eight sacks overall, but only three in nine games for Baltimore. 

Jihad Ward, who signed with the Jaguars, managed three sacks last season.

Baltimore opted to draft a pair of outside linebackers — Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes — that are expected to make an impact but might need time to develop.

Houston visited Baltimore in April, but he left without a deal. But the two sides eventually found common ground.

A first-team All-Pro (2014) and four-time Pro Bowler (2012-15), Houston has registered 444 career tackles (366 solo), 97.5 sacks, 117 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries. Since he entered the league in 2011, Houston ranks third in both sacks and fumble recoveries among active NFL defenders.

"[Executive vice president] Ozzie [Newsome] always says, ‘The team is not finished until September, and even then, it’s not finished.’ So, we’re in good shape with that,” Harbaugh said.