While Jadeveon Clowney‘s pursuit of a lucrative second Texans contract has accounted for most of the buzz surrounding him this offseason, the fifth-year pass rusher was not available for Houston’s practices due to a surgery.
Clowney did not participate in the Texans’ OTAs or their minicamp, but he pronounced himself ready to go for training camp. Clowney did so without going into specifics, but Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports the outside linebacker is not expected to have health limitations once the Texans begin camp.
An arthroscopic knee surgery sidelined Clowney this offseason. The process dragged on, however, with the surgery occurring shortly after the 2017 season concluded but sidelining Clowney throughout the spring and early summer. He saw Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion, Wilson reports, adding the Texans will likely ease their top edge man back to work at their West Virginia-stationed camp.
Clowney also appeared to squash the prospect of a holdout, a course of action fellow 2014 first-rounders Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are taking as they pursue extensions.
“I’m ready, man,” Clowney said, via Wilson. “I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to the season … I’m great, I’m good. See you guys at camp.”
This will be a pivotal season for Clowney. He’ll receive a nice pay bump — to a $12.306MM salary on a fifth-year option — but no report this year indicated he and the Texans were close on an extension. No substantive re-up talks between Clowney’s camp and the Texans occurred this offseason, leading John McClain of the Houston Chronicle to foresee the 2014 No. 1 overall pick playing this season for the option price and the parties reconvening after the campaign concludes.
The Texans may want to see Clowney stay healthy this season, or at least avoid knee problems, in order to be convinced he’s worthy of a top-market extension. The 25-year-old defender, though, has played 30 regular-season games the past two years after injuries affected him more earlier in his career. Nevertheless, Clowney shaking off this latest one figures to be critical en route to that elusive extension.
He is one of those “it’s all about me” players that has great skills and athletisizm. Maybe Watts can influence him into being more of a team player. Texans have a very formidable defense when both those guys are healthy.