Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers CB Chris Houston makes decision to retire

Published Aug. 5, 2015 12:25 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Carolina Panthers got some surprising news on Tuesday, as cornerback Chris Houston decided to retire from the NFL, according to Panthers.com. Houston signed a one-year deal with the Panthers this offseason.

As David Newton of ESPN reports, Houston was battling for a backup spot before the decision to hang up his cleats.

Chris Houston was battling for a backup corner job before opting to retire. #Panthers
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 4, 2015

Over Houston's seven-year career, he played with the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, totaling 324 tackles, 13 interceptions and four forced fumbles. His reasoning behind choosing to call it a career is still unknown, but the Panthers definitely lost a bit of depth at cornerback with the news.

(h/t Panthers.com and ESPN)