- By Josh Clark
- jclark@profootballtechs.com
At 33 years old, Jerry Hughes is among the NFL’s oldest pass rushers.
But despite logging just two sacks in 2021, advanced stats show the veteran still brings plenty of production to his new team, the Houston Texans.
Lined up alongside a talented Buffalo front seven, Hughes recorded his most pressures last year (26) since 2018.
And he did so despite logging far fewer snaps – 558 in 2021 compared to the average of approx 650 over the three years’ prior.
Hughes high pressure rate is a key reason he’s had Pro Football Focus’ 10th highest pass rush grade (87.4) since 2019, despite not logging double-digit sacks in any of those seasons.
As the Bills recognized, disrupting the quarterback doesn’t always have to mean putting him on the ground.
And Hughes has made a career of that.
Highes’ decision to join Houston serves as a homecoming of sorts.
He grew up in nearby Sugar Land, Texas, and starred at Stephen F. Austin High School.
