Jadeveon Clowney went into free agency expecting NFL teams to shower him with market-setting contract offers. Now with training camp just a month away, Clowney remains a free agent and it seems NFL clubs have had enough negotiating with him.
NFL teams ‘done’ discussing contract with Jadeveon Clowney
Clowney expected to be signed by an NFL contender by now with a deal worth at least $20 million per season. Instead, he is waiting and hoping for a market that never showed strong interest in him to suddenly change.
Organizations have now spent several months talking to Clowney’s agent Bus Cook to try and bring down the three-time Pro Bowl selection’s contract demands. He isn’t willing to budge, though, which has reportedly driven multiple teams to the point of giving up.
“I’ve talked to multiple teams that have done the dance with Bus Cook, Clowney’s agent, and they’re tired of it,” Charles Robinson said, via Yahoo Sports. “…Teams are done, they’re just done. Like, ‘Alright, man. Whatever. You know what our stance is, you know what our numbers are. We’re moving on'”
In fact, front offices around the league have reportedly sent a message to Clowney through his agent. Until he decides he actually wants to play football on an NFL team and accept that he isn’t worth the number he is seeking, no one will be calling him.
Jadeveon Clowney not living up to his draft hype
Heading into the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney was the consensus top overall talent available. The Houston Texans scooped him up with the No. 1 overall pick, passing on All-Pro stars Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald and Zack Martin.
He played in just four games in his rookie season, missing a majority of the year with a torn meniscus and a follow-up surgery in his knee. Clowney would play in 13 games the following season, recording 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.
It finally started coming together for him in 2016. He earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl after recording six sacks and 16 tackles for loss, then made it back the following year with 9.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
After three straight trips to the Pro Bowl, with 18.5 combined sacks in his last two seasons with the Texans, Houston traded him to the Seattle Seahawks before the 2019 NFL season.
Concerns about Jadeveon Clowney
NFL teams questioned Clowney’s durability coming into 2019, but he would have a chance to prove himself in Seattle. Instead, he turned in the worst season of his NFL career.
He played in just 13 games this past season, missing time and playing through a core muscle injury. Clowney recorded just three sacks with seven tackles for loss, struggling to generate much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Despite the down year, Clowney still expected to land a market-setting contract from another team.
At this point, the number of teams still even open to signing him is limited. The Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks have all shown interest this offseason. At this point, though, we might be waiting past training camp before he signs.