The football gods were not smiling down on Justin Houston in Week 18.
The Baltimore Ravens linebacker Houston entered play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals with 9.0 sacks on the season. A tenth sack would have automatically triggered a $1.5 million bonus in Houston’s contract.
Houston appeared to have cashed in on his big bonus in the fourth quarter when he got to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for a sack on third down. The four-time Pro Bowler even did a celebratory somersault.
But the official scorekeeper had other thoughts, unfortunately. It was soon ruled that Houston had actually split the sack with teammate Odafe Oweh. That put Houston at 9.5 sacks on the year — just barely short of the ten needed for his bonus.
Houston did not get a real chance to record a sack for the rest of the game since the Bengals, who were up 27-16, simply ran the ball to milk the clock. Thus, the 33-year-old finished his season a mere half-sack shy of his extra $1.5 million.
Of course, it is possible that the Ravens pay out Houston’s bonus anyway. The veteran had a magnificent 2022 season, leading Baltimore in sacks and also recording both an interception and a forced fumble despite making just one start (in 14 total appearances). But we are so used to seeing NFL players cash their incentives that Houston’s late whiff (by the slimmest of margins too) was especially brutal.
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