James
Houston
LB
#41
James Houston
#41LB
Dallas Cowboys
Height : 6' 1" · Weight : 248 lbs · Age : 27
NFL record
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | AST | SACK | FF | FR | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Dallas Cowboys | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Dallas Cowboys | 17 | 35 | 18 | 17 | 5.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Detroit Lions | 8 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Detroit Lions | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Detroit Lions | 7 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Contract
Dallas Cowboys payroll →- 2026 cap number
- 1.15 M$
- Average per year
- 1.09 M$
- Total value
- 2.2 M$
- Seasons left
- 1 · through 2026
2026
1.15 M$
Not guaranteed
Cap number: the season's salary plus the share of the signing bonus spread over the contract. Total value and average per year cover the whole contract, from its signing.
Advanced stats, 2025 Edge rushers
NFL stats →2025 season. The percentile ranks the player among regular edge rushers: 90th means better than 90% of them.
Sacks
5.5
47th percentile
Pressures
19
41th percentile
QB hits
13
45th percentile
Tackles for loss
6
33th percentile
Tackles
35
38th percentile
Forced fumbles
1
59th percentile
Passes defended
0
10th percentile
Missed tackle rate
7.9 %
43th percentile
Defensive snaps
307
0th percentile
Games
17
Regular season. Data: nflverse (play-by-play, snap counts), Next Gen Stats, Pro Football Reference. EPA: expected points added. CPOE: completion percentage over expected.
2026 projection
NFL trends →Projected WAR
0.0
Games
15
WAR 2025
0.0
Games played
17
The pace of the last three seasons (WAR per game, 60/25/15), pulled toward the group average, over the games expected from his availability in the last two, adjusted for age.
Trend
→ Stable (-1)
- 20250.0 WAR · 0.000 per game
The trend compares this season's WAR per game with last season's, weighted by games played.
Outlook, age included
+9 · 26 y.o. · prime years
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes.
Player ratings, 2025
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100, computed over four seasons from data, never by hand, against regulars in the same position group. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite.
OV · Overall
86
High-end
- PRS
- Pass rush
- 88
- RDF
- Run defense
- 83
- TCK
- Tackling
- 79
- DUR
- Durability
- 56
- EX
- Experience
- 50
Why these ratings?Hide details
- PRS — Pass rush : Pressures, sacks and QB hits, per snap
- RDF — Run defense : Run tackles and tackles for loss, per snap
- TCK — Tackling : Tackles made and missed tackles
- DUR — Durability : Games played out of his team's, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : Seasons in the NFL
WAR and PAL Rating, 2025
How we rate →WAR: the EPA (expected points added) of every play, above replacement level, shared among those who made it, then converted to wins (35.3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
WAR
0.0
PAL Rating
77 / 100
Value Rating · 2025
100 / 100
2025 PAL (77) against 2026 salary: the contract's average per year (APY), $1.1M.PAL expected for this salary: 4PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
Half the EPA of his sacks, interceptions, passes defended, forced fumbles, tackles for loss and QB hits, against his position's average per snap.
Yards allowed per target against his position's average, 0.12 points per yard (measured).
Replacement level: the share of defense the league spends on his position (by payroll), prorated by snaps.
How much better or worse than average his team's defense was (EPA allowed), minus what is already credited to players, prorated by snaps.
The individual part is splash plays and coverage. The rest is the position share and his team's defense, split by snaps played.
James Houston in five questions
What are James Houston's stats in 2025?
James Houston has 5.5 sacks and 13 QB hits in 17 games in 2025.
How old and how tall is James Houston?
James Houston is 27 years old. He is 6'1" (185 cm) and weighs 247 lb (112 kg).
How good is James Houston?
James Houston produced 0.0 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025. His PAL rating is 77 out of 100: very good for his position.
How much does James Houston make?
James Houston earns $1.1M for the 2025 season. His Value Rating is 100 out of 100 (exceptional value): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
What number does James Houston wear, and what team does he play for?
James Houston plays for Dallas Cowboys in the NFL, at LB, and wears number 41.
