Lions Part Ways With Former Breakout Edge Rusher in Surprise Move

Getty James Houston celebrates a 2023 win at Lambeau Field.

The Detroit Lions appeared to have a surprise breakout star in James Houston, who made eight sacks in just seven games in one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history.

Close to two years later, Houston is gone from Detroit in a move just as surprising.

The team announced on Nov. 26 that they released the edge rusher, an abrupt end for a player who failed to match his early success and appeared to fall out of favor with the coaching staff. Lions head coach Dan Campbell could not offer much of an explanation for the move, simply saying it didn’t work out for the team.

“It just didn’t. We had James up for a number of games, came back off of injury, got back, and it just never quite worked out,” Campbell said, via the Detroit News.

James Houston Struggled After Breakout Season

Houston’s struggles began early after his rookie season as he suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 last season. He remained out until the NFC Championship game, but appeared in just 11 snaps.

As Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News noted, Houston struggled to develop into a more well-rounded linebacker who could also play on rushing situations.

“In training camp before this season, the Lions continued to try to improve other parts of Houston’s game but eventually gave up on the experiment, allowing him to just focus on rushing the passer,” Bianchi wrote. “He has 13 pressures and just one sack in 2024, even with there being a clear vacancy on the edge following several key injuries.”

There had been speculation among some insiders that Houston may not make the roster this season, with Campbell admitting in August that he was on the bubble. Houston ultimately earned a spot on the final 53-man roster, but saw his snaps diminish.

Lions Add New Pass Rusher

Houston appeared to have an opportunity to step into a bigger role in October after star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffered a fractured leg that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season. But instead of giving more snaps to Houston, the Lions opted to trade for Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith.

Smith had a fast start, making a sack with two hurries and three total pressures in 26 snaps against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the game, Campbell shared praise for Smith’s presence.

“I thought he did some good things for us. It was good to have him out there,” Campbell said, via SI.com. “I thought, really like we talked about last week, just be a piece of this puzzle, and he’s a guy that’s played, he is instinctive, he doesn’t stay blocked long, he’s really good with his hands.

“Like I said, he can set an edge in the run game, and he’s really good at working gains with (Lions defensive lineman Alim McNeill) ‘Mac’ and (defensive lineman DJ) Reader and those guys. He’s got a knack for those things. So, I think, first outing with him, I thought it was good. I think he fits right in with us.”