Chiefs open their vault for Houston

The Kansas City Chiefs spoke with representatives for Justin Houston about an extension before last season. When they were unable to reach a pact, the defensive star made a big gamble by playing out the final year of his rookie contract.

The Chiefs rewarded their standout pass rusher handsomely on Wednesday. The team and Houston agreed to a six-year contract worth $101 million just hours before the deadline for a long-term deal, the culmination of long negotiation that made the All-Pro the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history.

"I just had to make sure I took care of what I needed to on the field," said Houston, who left the negotiations in the hands of his agent, Joel Segal.