50 Days until Chiefs football, we are ‘Justin Houston’ days away
Football: Kansas City Chiefs Justin Houston (50) at line of scrimmage during game vs San Francisco 49ers at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City, MO 9/23/2018 CREDIT: David E. Klutho (Photo by David E. Klutho /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X162158 TK1 )We are 50 days away from the Kansas City Chiefs season-opening game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football" in Week 1.
The No. 50 jersey will be worn by undrafted rookie center Pete Nygra going into training camp after linebacker Brandn George was waived in May; he wore the number during the preseason last year.
There is one all-time Chiefs pass rusher that comes to mind when visualizing No. 50 in the red and gold:
The memorable No. 50s in franchise history
Justin Houston (2011 - 2018)Anthony Davis (1994 - 1998)Willie Gay Jr. (2020 - 2023)Kawika Mitchell (2003 - 2006)Mike Vrabel (2009 - 2010)At the dawn of head coach Andy Reid's tenure, the defense was the catalyst in team success, and the top pass rusher was outside linebacker Justin Houston in his prime. In 2014, he nearly eclipsed the NFL's all-time single-season sack record when he racked up 22.5. He was one of the most unique combinations of power and athleticism in football before a knee injury took him off an all-time career path.
Willie Gay Jr. is still a member of the Miami Dolphins after never realizing his potential in Kansas City, once a second-round pick with playmaking upside. He will always be remembered fondly in Chiefs Kingdom for his personality and charisma.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel wore No. 50 during his two years with the Chiefs, catching two touchdowns wearing that jersey.
50: The number of solo tackles by former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook last season
50 solo tackles ranked fourth among Chiefs defenders last season, with Chamarri Conner (75), Nick Bolton (73) and Drue Tranquill (55) finishing above the safety who moved onto sign with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency this offseason, Bryan Cook.
That role is projected to be filled by veteran safety Alohi Gilman, but can he be as reliable of a tackler as Cook was? Cook missed just 5.6% of his tackle attempts last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Gilman missed 16.4% of his tackle attempts last season, with his focus primarily on being back-end support in coverage.
Conner and third-year safety Jaden Hicks may be counted on to make up for the sure tackling that will be missing with Cook's absence this year.