As the No. 1 overall pick in 2014 by the Texans, Jadeveon Clowney never quite lived up to that billing. He had some strong years in Houston but was never a star, leading to him being traded to the Seahawks in 2019. That move didn’t pan out for Seattle, and he’s been bouncing around the league ever since.

Even though Clowney’s been operating in the mercenary stage of his career longer than you’d expect for a player with his pedigree, it’s led to a lot of personal success. Every year, he’s taken his time signing, picking a spot that gives him the money (and contract length) he wants before showing up and putting in the work. In particular, over the last three seasons, Clowney has played for the Ravens, Panthers and Cowboys in succession — and he’s enjoyed the best three-year stretch of his career.

Clowney’s role at this point in his career is no mystery. He’s 33 years old and doesn’t enjoy the whole training camp routine, so he may wait to sign until closer to the start of the season (or even into the season). He’s not going to anchor a pass rush and probably won’t be the best player on your defensive line. Instead, he’ll be a consistent starter, a positive in run defense and tenacious getting after the quarterback. Clowney proved that last season in Dallas, when he tied with Chargers OLB Khalil Mack and Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto for 16th among qualifying edge rushers in PFF grade.

The Cowboys have been pretty consistent, at least publicly, that they aren’t interested in bringing Clowney back and would rather turn the position over to their young guys (namely Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachi Lawrence) next to offseason trade acquisition Rashan Gary. So where does that leave Clowney? Over the last few seasons, he’s waffled between deals worth $10 million and those between $2.5 and $3.5 million. I’d expect something between $3-5 million, definitely a one-year deal, by a team in need of temporary pass rush help.

Clowney, 33, is a former No. 1 overall pick of the Texans back in 2014. He was in the final year of his four-year, $22.272 million contract when the Texans picked up his fifth-year option, which paid him $12.306 million for the 2018 season. 

Houston franchised Clowney before trading him to the Seahawks at the start of the regular season in 2019. It took until September 2020 for him to sign a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with the Titans. 

Clowney signed with the Browns on one-year deals in 2021 and 2022, the second worth $11 million. He caught on with the Ravens in 2023 on another one-year deal before joining the Panthers on a two-year contract. However, Carolina released him after one season. 

He signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys worth $3.5 million that can be worth up to $6 million with incentives for the 2025 season. 

In 2025, Clowney appeared in 13 games for the Cowboys and recorded 41 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two recoveries and four pass defenses.

We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list.

New England Patriots

Pass rush was one of the few weak areas for the Patriots during their run to the Super Bowl last season. They had some turnover at the edge rusher position, but I don’t know if they got meaningfully better. Dre’Mont Jones replaced K’Lavon Chaisson, and New England spent a second-round pick on Gabe Jacas out of Illinois. Other than those moves, Harold Landry III is back, as is Bradyn Swinson, a fifth-round pick last year.

Swinson played in just three games as a rookie, but right now he projects as the fourth edge rusher on the depth chart. Not only is depth a concern for New England, but so is top-end talent. Landry and Jones both project as average-level starters rather than true difference-makers, and Jones is coming off his worst season in a while. Simply put, the Patriots need more bodies and more talent off the edge if they want another shot at winning the Super Bowl.

Clowney wouldn’t really solve the problem of the lack of a true top-flight pass rusher, but he would massively upgrade the depth of the unit. He could start or rotate in, forming a strong trio with Landry and Jones that would push Jacas to fourth on the depth chart and allow him to come along slowly — unless he’s ready for a bigger role right away. Swinson could still earn his way to some playing time but wouldn’t be asked to play consistent snaps, a better proposition for a team as good as the Patriots.

San Francisco 49ers

It’s no exaggeration to say the 49ers are the neediest team at edge rusher in the league. Their lack of depth got exposed last season when Nick Bosa suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the third game of the season — and that was before Bryce Huff retired this offseason. San Francisco was able to replace Huff with third-round rookie Romello Height, who should play a very similar role in that defense, but it doesn’t change the fact that pass rusher is a major weakness on this team.

Bosa being back is a huge lift and stabilizes one starting spot with one of the league’s premier pass rushers. The other spot is earmarked for 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams, who played in just nine games as a rookie due to a torn ACL of his own midway through the season. Even when healthy, Williams projects as a more of a run-stuffer than a plus pass rusher, and having both starters at a key position coming off torn ACLs is not a good place for the 49ers to be.

And even if health wasn’t an issue, San Francisco doesn’t have much depth behind Bosa, Williams and Height. Clowney could come in and start in place of Williams if he isn’t ready out of the gate, as the two players have a similar skill set. If Williams is ready to go Week 1, then Clowney becomes the primary backup to both him and Bosa, and would see a lot of snaps during regular defensive line rotations. And if the 49ers are hit with big injuries on defense again, they’ll be glad they signed Clowney before another team did.

Cincinnati Bengals

On paper, the Bengals don’t seem to have a huge need at edge rusher. Despite losing Trey Hendrickson in free agency, the team signed Boye Mafe from the Seahawks to replace him. They also have 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart in the fold, who will presumably have a full offseason with the team after his contract dispute last year, as well as former first-round pick Myles Murphy. Rookie second-round pick Cashius Howell should be a factor too, even if he’s not projected to start.

But most of those players aren’t proven. Mafe was never a consistent starter in Seattle and played as part of a deep rotation. The Seahawks had one of the best edge rusher groups in the league, so that’s not necessarily a knock on him, but he’s never been “the guy” like he’ll be asked to be in Cincinnati. Murphy has done virtually nothing in his three years in the league, and Stewart had a rough rookie season after holding out for much of the summer. On top of that, Howell measured and tested in record-setting poor fashion, literally possessing the shortest arms of any edge rusher in NFL Combine history. There’s a real chance this all blows up on them.

I trust Mafe to be a competent starter, even if he’s not the breakout star many believe he can be. Regardless, I think the Bengals would benefit from a veteran’s presence. There’s no reason to believe Murphy will suddenly become a starting-caliber player after totaling just eight sacks across his first three seasons, and if he doesn’t, there’s a sizable hole across from Mafe. Clowney could come in and stabilize the unit without needing a long-term commitment that would conflict with the timelines of the young players the Bengals have invested in.

Other teams to watch: Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers