The Carolina Panthers have agreed to sign edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
It’s a two-year deal worth $20 million. It could be worth up to $24 million with incentives.
Clowney was one of the last truly significant free agents remaining on the open market, and with the Panthers trading fellow edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants earlier in the month, it’s no surprise that Carolina pursued Clowney so heavily.
The 31-year-old is coming off of an impressive 2023 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens in which he played every game and racked up 43 tackles, 9.5 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and five passes defended.
Clowney, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, was originally selected by the Houston Texans with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
After a couple of very disappointing seasons to begin his career, Clowney finally broke through in his third year, making three straight trips to the Pro Bowl between 2016 and 2018. His most productive campaign during that stretch came in 2017, when he rattled off 59 tackles, 9.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.
The Rock Hill, S.C. native spent the first five years of his career with the Texans and has proceeded to bounce around the league ever since.
Now that he signed with the Panthers, Clowney is now on his sixth NFL team. He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.
While Jadeveon Clowney has never logged double-digit sacks in a single season, there is no doubt that he is an impactful player when he is on the field.
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