Brian Schottenheimer explains why Jadeveon Clowney didn’t play in Week 3: ‘He still needs a little bit of time to ramp up’

Jadeveon Clowney didn’t suit up for the Cowboys against the Chicago Bears in Week 3. Dallas certainly could’ve used the veteran pass rusher on the field, but the team didn’t feel like he was ready to be out there.

Per Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas is bringing Clowney along at a pace they believe will benefit them in the long run. He wasn’t ready for Week 3, but he could be out there during Week 4’s showdown with the Green Bay Packers.

“At the end of the day, you just feel like he still needs a little bit of time to ramp up,” Schottenheimer said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “He hasn’t played football. He wanted to go, but the concern would be if he had to play a lot of snaps, would he be able to do that?

“He’s doing everything in his power to be ready to go. He wanted to go, but he understands as well. Really good conversation with him before the game.”

At least there’s a glimmer of hope for Clowney to return for that game. If the Cowboys pass rush has the former top draft pick, perhaps they won’t look embarrassing in comparison to the Packers, who of course have a player Dallas knows well on that side of the football nowadays.

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Moreover, Clowney has played 11 seasons with six teams over the course of his career. He joined the Cowboys after the team traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, which led to the addition of DT Kenny Clark.

The former South Carolina star has been a consistent pass rusher throughout his entire career, registering 58 sacks in 11 seasons. Clowney began his NFL career with the Houston Texans in 2014 after the team selected him No. 1 overall in the draft. He spent five seasons in Houston and was named to the Pro Bowl three times. 

Clowney then spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. He has not matched the same success he had in Houston, but the 2023 season was strong, as he notched 9.5 sacks as a member of the Ravens. 

“Guy’s a really good football player. He’s missed playing the game a little bit, and the film obviously looks good,” Schottenheimer said of Clowney.

“We’re always in the business of seeing what’s out there and keeping an eye on all good football players. I would say the personal relationship I have with him, the problems I know he can create both in the run and the pass, is the main reason he’s here.”

— On3’s Brian Jones contributed to this report.