Carolina Panthers: The Impact of Chris Houston’s Retirement

By Raphael Garcia | Aug 5, 2015

The Carolina Panthers were working hard to build an effective secondary unit. In 2014 injuries plagued their back line and forced many younger players to step up into starting roles. Chris Houston was expected to be prat of the position battle in training camp; however he has announced his retirement in what is a move that caught many individuals off guard. This is an interesting move for the unit because Houston was walking into expectations to play a key role in that defensive.

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As reported by David Newton of ESPN, Houston informed the Panthers that he would be walking away from football. No specific reason was given for his retirement.

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Houston was expected to be a potential starter for the Panthers in their secondary. In seven years of play he was a very consistent defensive back for both the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons – which helped the Panthers, become more familiar to his abilities on the field. In 2011 he led the NFL with 225 return yards on 5 interceptions.

Houston was one of the most experienced players in the Panthers’ secondary. Only Roman Harper and Charles Tillman had more time in the NFL. According to Newton’s report, Houston was in consideration for a backup position behind projected starters Tillman and Josh Norman. However, Houston would have been an important reserve if any of these players go down to injury.

Houston’s career was initially cut short when he sat out the 2014 season recovering from a toe injury.

The impact to his retirement will be felt as the team works to create a stronger compliment of reserve players on this defense. Bene Benwikere is one of the other key backups looking to make some headway on this defensive unit. With Houston leaving, the opportunity is now there for either Melvin White or Carrington Byndom to move into the backup role. White seems to have the inside track as he had success filling in for the Panthers during the 2014 season.

This comes right after Jonathan Martin’s retirement announcement in what was to be his fourth season in the league. Martin was suffering from a back injury that would have potentially forced him to sit out for the entire 2015 season. Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com reported that Martin elected to retire instead of miss the entire year. As with Houston, Martin was expected to be a sound addition for depth purposes to the Panthers’ team.

Coming into the 2015 season, the Panthers’ secondary was an interesting unit to watch. The young group bonded very well at the end of the 2014 year and the addition of a few key veterans gave this group the potential for a breakout season. Houston was expected to be one of those contributors. His retirement creates a space of opportunity or a major void to fill for the young players fighting to gain a spot on this roster.

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