SAD NEWS: Talented athlete for the Detroit Lions has just had his contract cancelled due to…
Sports Lions of Detroit Announce End of Chris Houston’s Contract June 13, 2014, 2:52 PM CBS Detroit / EDT
The Detroit Lions had to clear cap space in order to sign Eric Ebron, a first-round pick, and they succeeded in doing so.
Chris Houston, a seasoned cornerback who received a five-year contract extension in March of last year, has had his contract terminated, the Lions said on Friday.
The group said in a news release that “Chris Houston underwent a significant medical procedure this spring.” “After discussing it with each other, it was decided that Chris should be released from the Club in order to recover from his injury. The Lions are grateful for Chris’s years of service and wish him well during his recuperation.”
Last year, Houston committed to a $25 million, five-year pact. Unlike some other injured players, Houston had undergone toe surgery in the offseason, so he had missed both the team’s mandatory minicamp and its voluntary activities.
Jim Caldwell, the head coach of the Lions, was a touch prickly when asked earlier in the week if Houston, who received an excused absence for minicamp, would take longer than his colleagues to adjust to the new defence. Caldwell also seems to be hinting at Houston’s departure.
“We’ll work it out at that time, when he gets back or whatever happens,” Caldwell said at the time.
The former Alabama star, who missed much of his rookie season with a knee injury, said he was informed of the suspension a day before it was announced last month.
“I was sick,” he recalled. “I was hurt.”
Violations of the league’s gambling have been rare in recent years. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for gambling on NFL games and was later reinstated. In 2019, Arizona Cardinals cornerback Josh Shaw was suspended for gambling on an NFL game and he has not played in the league since.
“It’s an emphasis on the league right now,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “It’s a big thing. Our players know. We’ve tried to hammer it home. Certainly, we did after that point and a few more times and we’ll keep doing it.