Jadeveon Clowney is among the veterans still unsigned at this point of the offseason. The journeyman edge rusher is aiming to play in 2025, though, and he could have multiple suitors.
When speaking with The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, Clowney said he has been in touch with four to five teams this offseason. Conversations have been on and off since his Panthers release. That move ended his tenure with his hometown team after just one campaign.
As expected, Carolina targeted pass rushers during the draft. After adding Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen during the second and third rounds of April’s event, the team had a pair of new faces along the edge to develop. Parting ways with Clowney was aimed in part at an effort to give them more playing time as rookies. In the time since, no firm links to a suitor have emerged.
That is of course the case for a number of free agents prior to training camp. As teams start to evaluate their in-house options, though, Clowney is among the players who could be targeted for a signing in time for Week 1. The 32-year-old was a full-time starter for the Panthers last year, and he notched 5.5 sacks. Clowney has reached at least nine sacks four times in his career, including the 2021 and ’23 campaigns.
Duplicating that feat would not be expected from an acquiring team since he would presumably be signed as a rotational option. Even in that capacity, Clowney would offer value given his experience (140 games) and run defense (108 tackles for loss). Any number of teams could use a depth addition in their pass rush room, especially if injuries hit over the coming weeks.
Since receiving the franchise tag, Clowney played on a stretch of one-year deals with the Seahawks, Titans, Browns and Ravens. His Panthers pact (worth $20MM total) was the first multi-year accord of his career since his rookie contract. A long-term commitment would come as a surprise, but a market could take shape soon with respect to another one-year deal. It will be interesting to see where Clowney winds up for 2025.