James Houston
LB,
Lions
ACTUAL 2022
65 FPTS
RANK: 408
2023 SEASON
- FPTS
RANK: -
AGE
24 yrs
HEIGHT/WEIGHT
6'1'' / 225 lbs
COLLEGE
Jackson State
| SEASON | GP | FPTS | RANK |
| 2022 | 7 | 65 | 408th |
Records sack in preseason finale
Published: 2024-08-25
Houston (knee) recorded three total tackles (one solo), including a sack, in Saturday's 24-17 win over the Steelers.
Houston had been nursing a knee injury that he suffered in the team's preseason opener against the Giants, but he made the most of his opportunity in his return against Pittsburgh. The linebacker notched a sack on quarterback Kyle Allen in the second quarter while playing 22 defensive snaps with Detroit in the contest. Although Houston has proven himself when healthy, head coach Dan Campbell said following the game that he and general manager Brad Holmes will have a tough decision to make on if the linebacker will crack the 53-man roster, Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network reports.
Weekly Stats 2022
Stats not availablePerformance Splits: 2020 to 2022
| Home | Dome | 4 | 1 | undefined | NaNth | 71 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | undefined | undefined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Away | Outdoor | 3 | 1 | undefined | NaNth | 70 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | undefined | undefined |
Career Stats by Season: 2022 to 2022
| 2022 | 24 | DET | 7 | 2 | 65 | 408th | 141 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|---|
Dealing with bone bruise in knee
Published: 2024-08-08
Houston suffered a bone bruise in his knee during Thursday night's preseason loss to the Giants, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.
Coming off a mostly lost 2023 season that saw him appear in just two regular-season games due to a broken ankle, Houston was itching to hit someone Thursday and landed a big lick on Drew Lock in the first half. Houston was later injured, but the timetable for his return is unclear. Houston recorded eight sacks in seven games as a 2022 rookie, and the Lions are banking on him providing some pass-rush juice alongside Aidan Hutchinson this season.
Signs ERFA contract
Published: 2024-04-15
The Lions re-signed Houston to an exclusive rights free agent contract Monday.
Houston is coming off a mostly lost 2023 campaign, as a fractured ankle suffered Week 2 kept him sidelined until Detroit's loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. He impressed as a rookie back in 2022, racking up 8.0 sacks despite suiting up for just seven games, so it makes sense for the Lions to re-sign Houston and work to continue his development.
Season ruined by injury
Published: 2024-02-27
Houston recorded one tackle in two games during the 2023 season.
Houston was expected to handle a large workload as a pass rusher after racking up eight sacks as a rookie in 2022. However, he suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2 and didn't see the field again until the Lions' season-ending loss to the 49ers in the NFC championship game. Now set to become an exclusive-rights free agent at the end of the league year, Houston is a strong candidate to return to Detroit in 2024.
Full go in Wednesday's walkthrough
Published: 2024-01-24
Houston (ankle) was a full participant in Wednesday's walkthrough.
Houston was activated off injured reserve last week and is now closer to making his return. The 25-year-old is on track to play versus the 49ers on Sunday where he should provide solid depth at linebacker.
Will stay sidelined
Published: 2024-01-21
Houston (ankle) is inactive Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Houston was activated off injured reserve Thursday, and although he's been practicing with the team, will continue to remain sidelined as he works his way back from a fractured ankle. The second-year pro will need a Lions victory Sunday to get another opportunity to suit up again this season.
Activated off IR
Published: 2024-01-18
The Lions activated Houston (ankle) off injured reserve Thursday.
Houston has been out since suffering an ankle injury during Detroit's Week 2 loss to the Seahawks but is now set to return for the team's divisional round matchup versus Tampa Bay. The 25-year-old should contribute on special teams and should also provide solid depth behind Derrick Barnes.
Won't be activated ahead of Week 18
Published: 2024-01-05
Houston (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
Houston was designated to return from injured reserve Dec. 28, but he'll miss his second straight game since then. The linebacker was able to log a trio of limited practice sessions during Week 18 prep, so it seems that he's making progress toward a return. The second-year linebacker may be able to play in Detroit's wild-card matchup next weekend.
Won't return to action Saturday
Published: 2023-12-28
Houston (ankle) has been ruled out for Saturday's game versus the Cowboys, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
The Lions designated Houston to return from IR on Thursday, and he was able to log a limited session in his return to practice. Given that it was his first practice since he fractured his ankle Week 2 versus Seattle, it's not surprising that Houston isn't yet ready for game action. He'll look to make his return in Detroit's regular-season finale Sunday, Jan. 7 versus Minnesota.