Colts defensive end Justin Houston tied the all-time NFL record for safeties on Sunday, but he thinks he should be recognized as the sole record holder.
Houston sacked Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in the own end zone for the fourth safety of his career on Sunday, putting him in a four-way tie for the all-time record with Jared Allen, Doug English and Ted Hendricks, all of whom retired with four career safeties as well.
But Houston believes he should have a fifth. In 2016, Houston hit Broncos safety Trevor Siemian in the end zone, forcing a fumble that one of Siemian’s teammates recovered for a safety. Because the safety was an offensive fumble recovered by an offensive player, it was registered as simply a team safety, and not credited to any individual. But Houston thinks the scoring of a safety in that situation should be given to the player who forced the fumble, in which case he would now have five career safeties, which would be the most ever.
“I think that’s my safety and still don’t understand how the NFL hasn’t given me that safety,” Houston said, via the Indianapolis Star. “In my mind and in my household, I’m No. 1.’’
Houston had three sacks on Sunday and is adding to his legacy as one of the NFL’s best defensive ends of the last decade.