One day, Justin Houston will be invited back to Arrowhead Stadium. He’ll wear a suit. Clark Hunt will be there, at midfield during halftime. He’ll present a framed jersey. The PA announcer will go on and on about one of the best defensive players in a franchise history full of good ones.
He’ll watch as his name is officially added to the Chiefs’ ring of honor.
It’ll be a nice moment, and well deserved, and when it happens the awkwardness of the moment will have been forgiven if not forgotten.
Because right now, neither player nor team has done enough for the other, which means that with the Chiefs closer to the Super Bowl than any point in Houston’s life, he is now a member of the team in technical terms only.