Brian Cushing

Brian Cushing

36-Year-Old LinebackerLB
 Free Agent  
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Brian Cushing in 2023. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Released by the Texans in February of 2018.
Officially retires
LBFree Agent
January 29, 2019
Cushing has retired and joined the Texans as a strength and conditioning coach, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports.
ANALYSIS
Cushing played his entire career for Houston before being released last offseason and failing to catch on with another team. In nine seasons, the 2009 first-round pick amassed 424 tackles, including 13.5 sacks, and 30 passes defensed, including eight interceptions, across 104 games played.
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NFL Stats
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2017
2016
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2023 Brian Cushing Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Brian Cushing's measurables compare to other linebackers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 3"
 
Weight
255 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.64 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.22 sec
 
Cone Drill
6.84 sec
 
Vertical Jump
35.0 in
 
Broad Jump
120 in
 
Bench Press
30 reps
 
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
Long considered the heart of Houston's defense, Cushing's production has dropped off in recent years. You can chalk that up to knee injuries that wiped out his 2012 and 2013 seasons. At 30-years-old and entering his ninth NFL season, Cushing is no longer an elite tackler. That mantle has been passed to Bernardrick McKinney. Cushing will start at inside linebacker and call signals but McKinney is the better IDP candidate.
If J.J. Watt is the face of Houston's defense, Cushing is the heart. And, as the signal-caller, he's the mind. Cushing has wrestled with multiple knee surgeries that limited him to 12 games in 2012 and 2013, and he never really got over them until 2015. He was Houston's leading tackler with 110 last season while playing all 16 games. There's always a chance the 29-year-old with balky knees somewhat loses his effectiveness, but the plan is to have Cushing patrol the middle for Houston's defense in 2016.
Once one of the game's most promising players, Cushing has fallen upon bad injury luck the last few years. A torn ACL in 2012 was followed by a break and torn LCL in the same leg in 2013, and he missed two games last year with a knee injury. He also needed minor surgeries to his wrist, left knee and left ankle after the 2014 season. If Cushing's injury luck turns, however, he'll be a probable IDP factor given that he averaged roughly 108 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions per year in his first three seasons.
Cushing would likely be a candidate for the top-10 among IDP linebackers if his health could be guaranteed. Unfortunately, it cannot. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 5 of the 2012 season, and then suffered a broken leg and torn LCL in the same leg in Week 7 last season. That injury risk leaves him with a fairly low floor, but the upside is considerable when he's on the field. He has 402 tackles in 56 career games, which projects to about 115 per 16-game season. He's also among the league's best sources for sack and interception production, with 12 and eight in his career, respectively.
Cushing would perhaps rank higher were he not returning from an ACL tear that occurred in Week 5 last year. He's a Pro Bowl-caliber talent when healthy and makes an impact in the tackle, sack and interception categories, so there's definite upside here. Cushing averaged 124 tackles between the two full seasons he's played in Houston (2009 and 2011), and he also posted eight sacks and six interceptions between these two years. Cushing is expected to be healthy for training camp, but even if he's not at full strength to begin the season he could still approach 120 tackles by default because the Texans lack talent at inside linebacker.
Cushing is a better on-field player than IDP at this point, so don’t expect his production to return to his rookie-year level, when he totaled 133 tackles (86 solo), four sacks and four interceptions. This is due to Houston’s clock-eating offense and that the Texans defense does a good job of getting off the field. That said, Cushing’s playmaking abilities shine through, as he finished last year with 114 stops (76 solo), four sacks and two interceptions. The selection of outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus in the first round of the draft ensures Houston will keep Cushing exclusively on the inside, where most of the tackle opportunities are.
Cushing's 2010 season was badly compromised by his four-game suspension for alleged illegal PED use, but he should be back to posting big numbers in 2011. Houston is switching to a 3-4 defense despite a potential lack of the necessary personnel on the defensive line, meaning Cushing and his fellow linebackers could see more tackle opportunities than usual if runners are allowed to breeze past the line of scrimmage. His value is further aided by the fact that he's expected to work occasionally as a pass rusher, meaning he'll have a chance to add a decent sack total to what should be standout tackle production. Considering his size/speed/strength combination, Cushing should be able to thrive both on the inside and out, and he's a good IDP target at linebacker as a result.
Cushing would rank much higher on this list based on his rookie season alone — he racked up 134 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year by the AP. But this spring, we learned that Cushing failed a drug test during that campaign and will sit out the first four games of 2010 for violating the NFL’s PED policy. We’ll leave the moralizing about his transgression to the Peter Kings of the world and skip to the numbers, which tell us that 12 games worth of Cushing — plus four games of replacement-level production — should still be a better IDP option than a full season of most linebackers out there.
Cushing will start at strongside linebacker, which is typically Mario Williams' side. With linemen focusing on Williams so much, there may be a few sack opportunities for Cushing.
More Fantasy News
Checking out Seattle
LBFree Agent
March 7, 2018
Cushing visited with the Seahawks on Wednesday, Liz Mathews of USA Today reports.
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Officially released Tuesday
LBFree Agent
February 20, 2018
The Texans officially released Cushing on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
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Will be released in March
LBFree Agent
February 18, 2018
The Texans informed Cushing that he would be released prior to the start of the new league year March 14, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.
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Records team's lone sack Sunday
LBHouston Texans
December 18, 2017
Cushing had six tackles (four solo), including a sack, in Sunday's 45-7 loss to the Jaguars.
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Returns from suspension
LBHouston Texans
December 12, 2017
Cushing returned from a 10-game suspension and had five tackles, including half a sack, in Week 14's 26-16 loss to the 49ers.
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