Following Release, Should Seahawks Pounce on Jadeveon Clowney Reunion Opportunity?
On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced the release of veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler. The former No. 1 overall pick played for the Houston Texans for the first five seasons of his career and Seattle Seahawks fans remember well what happened prior to the 2019 season. Seattle and Houston agreed to a blockbuster deal that sent Clowney to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo, and a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Seahawks fans also remember his time in Seattle was certainly a mixed bag. Clowney certainly made an impact on Seattle’s defense beyond the stat sheet, but still notched just three sacks. That was a disappointing number given high expectations and what was traded to Houston for him.
Since his brief stint with Seattle, Clowney has played for four different NFL teams in five seasons. He’s been basically a hired gun to try and jolt the pass rush anywhere he goes. Certainly, like his time with the Seahawks, it’s been hit-and-miss.
However, a place where Clowney was definitely a hit was with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. At 30 years old, he matched his career high with 9.5 sacks with 19 quarterback hits. His 71 quarterback pressures, per Pro Football Focus, ranked 13th in all of the NFL. Who was his defensive coach for this mid-career resurgence? Mike Macdonald.
Now that Macdonald has gone from Baltimore defensive coordinator to building a strong defense as head coach in Seattle, should he bring his successful reclamation project into the fold to see if he can work magic a second time?
Clowney tried to replicate his success in Baltimore in Carolina last season and it was again, a mixed bag. However, his 5.5 sacks and 44 quarterback pressures would be welcomed in Seattle if he were to replicate that at this stage of his career.
The edge rushing group in Seattle is already littered with veterans. DeMarcus Lawrence is 33 years old, just a year older than Clowney. While Uchenna Nwosu is just 28, his injury history has caused extra wear and tear on the tires. Should Seattle bring Clowney in with Nwosu recovering from knee surgery and Lawrence coming off a significant injury of his own?
The answer, of course, is always “if the price is right.”
Last season in Carolina, Clowney made roughly $10 million. He signed a two-year deal worth $20 million, but the Panthers just cut him loose ahead of the 2025 campaign. He played on the Ravens the year prior for a meager $2.5 million.
What if the Seahawks could get him in the fold for something in between?
DeMarcus Lawrence just signed a three-year, $32.5 million deal worth roughly $7.7 million against the cap for 2025. The Seahawks possess almost $35 million in free cap space for this upcoming season.
At this point, the Seahawks should be able to afford Clowney. It’s really a question of, with the signing of Lawrence already plus the depth in young players like Boye Mafe and Derick Hall, is it worth it? Is there an opportunity for Clowney to come in and get significant enough snaps to make an impact?
Clowney’s days of getting 800-plus snaps on defense are over. But if Macdonald can do what he did with Clowney in Baltimore and maximize his skill set with 600 to 650 snaps, that can provide great value. The Eagles just won a Super Bowl with having a deep pass rushing group that rotated pieces frequently. Perhaps the Seahawks see value in putting Clowney in as a rotational piece with the other mix of veterans and youth in the pass rushing group. His days as the feature piece of that attack are over. That doesn’t mean he can’t make an impact still.
The Seahawks have an opportunity to have a truly special defense in 2025. If Macdonald feels he can squeeze the most value out of Clowney like he did in 2023, this defense will be one of the scariest in the NFL. These types of opportunities and decisions are why the Seahawks hired Macdonald as head coach, which is why a reunion for the veteran edge shouldn’t be ruled out.
