NFL rumors: Jadeveon Clowney open to returning to former team

Jadeveon Clowney would be open to returning to the Houston Texans after playing the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

While Jadeveon Clowney’s two years with the Cleveland Browns were largely underwhelming, who says you can’t go home?

The former No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina still makes his offseason home in Houston. Although the Houston Texans are rebuilding under first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, Clowney is a fan of his and likes the direction the franchise is heading in. He may be open to possibly returning to the Texans, but Clowney is not yet ready to make a decision about where he will play.

Here is what Clowney told Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston about a possible return to the Texans.

“It would be nice. All my family is here. Friends here. The guys I work out with can help me take care of my body a lot better being right up under them. … You never know. You never know what will happen. You never know what’s in front of you.”

Here is the entire clip featuring Clowney working out in Houston at Fairchild Sports Performance.

Let’s discuss why Clowney returning to the Texans wouldn’t be the strangest reunion in the world.

NFL rumors: Jadeveon Clowney open to returning to the Houston Texans in 2023

Besides having friends and family back in Houston, the Texans can really only go up from where they have been the last few seasons. They have been one of the worst teams in football since blowing a massive lead to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round back in 2019. Hiring their former star linebacker to be their new head coach has helped give this team a solid identity.

Add in the Texans drafting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud No. 2 overall a few weeks ago and then trading up from No. 12 to No. 3 to draft Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr., and Houston could be getting better in a hurry! Clowney may be on the back side of his NFL career, but he could serve as a veteran leader in a place where he had his greatest level of professional success at, too.

Frankly, at this point of his career, it will be a year-to-year proposition for Clowney. He will not make anywhere close to the amount of cash he garnered as the former No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina. However, he can still probably play at a decently high level as a rotational defensive lineman. Sacks are not a big part of his game, but he does the little things to win them.

Look for Clowney to possibly sign on with a team around training camp ahead of his 10th season.