Veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is heading back to where it all began, agreeing to a free-agent contract with the Houston Texans, according to multiple reports Sunday,The Texans selected Clowney with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and he played five seasons in Houston — earning all three of his career Pro Bowl selections — before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks just before the start of the 2019 season. He has played for six teams in the seven seasons since, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys.Clowney, who was the No. 54 player and eighth-best edge rusher in The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents, took a visit last week with the Cleveland Browns, where he played from 2021 to 2022, but did not agree to a deal.
Now 33, Clowney collected 8.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits in 13 games for the Cowboys in 2025 after joining the team in Week 2. He was a rare bright spot on an overall dismal Cowboys defense.Clowney entered the NFL as the No. 1 pick in 2014 following a standout career at the University of South Carolina, where he rose to fame for a thunderous tackle in the 2013 Outback Bowl against Michigan. Though Clowney’s professional career never lived up to the hype he had coming in, he’s totaled 66.5 sacks over 12 seasons, also playing for the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers.He had 18.5 sacks combined in 2017 and 2018 in Houston, and the Texans used the franchise tag on him to keep him from hitting free agency in March 2019. After the sides failed to reach a long-term extension, the Texans traded Clowney to the Seahawks for a third-round pick, Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo.Clowney has shown he still has juice going into his 13th season. He had a 19.1 percent pressure rate in 2025, which ranked fourth among all players with at least 200 pass-rush snaps, and was also a decent run-stopper. He will join one of the league’s best pass rushes, spearheaded by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter on the edge.Aug 2, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
