Checking In On Jadeveon Clowney

The Houston Texans off season is in full swing as they go through the nuances of preparing for the upcoming season.

They just completed the participation in the NFL Combine where they were able to see some of the greatest prospects out of college football that all have that desire to make it to the pros.

They saw players run, jump, dodge, duck, pass…you know…the things these players will be doing in live-action!

But as the draft starts creeping closer in a couple of months and we wonder what the Texans are going to do with the No. 16 pick, there’s a question that still remains on the forefront of many fans’ minds about our No. 1 pick from last season.

How is Jadeveon Clowney’s rehabilitation from micro fracture surgery going?

According to the Houston Texans, it’s going just fine.

General Manager Rick Smith said at the NFL Combine last week that Clowney is “doing well” and that “the recovery process is an arduous process.”

Smith also added this tidbit:

"“We talk to him about that and how he would have to be diligent throughout that process. He’s doing well and we expect that we would hopefully make a full recovery and be able to help us next year.”"

Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, Clowney had the procedure done Dec. 10 after things seemed to not be right after the return from his first surgery on the knee in Week 8.

The expected recovery time from a surgery like this is nine months and some say — not the Texans — that the expectation is realistic that he will be ready to go before the start of training camp.

I certainly hope that’s the case but there’s no need to rush him along.

Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) runs after a catch against Houston Texans cornerback Darryl Morris (26) and outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

It appeared that was the case this season, the explosiveness that he normally emits with every tackle, hit or pass he defends just wasn’t visible in his return.

Something was still wrong with that knee.

I just didn’t like how the Texans downplayed the seriousness of his injury and made it look like he didn’t want to be out there on the field.

With him being on such a high-profile stage, character means everything and it took quite a beating during that period of time at the midpoint of the season.

We knew that things just got real whenever we found out that he was going to undergo a second surgery to hopefully get this right for good.

Head coach Bill O’Brien provided his thoughts on the process:

"“When he came out of the surgery, the first six weeks were very important because he couldn’t put any weight on the knee,” he said. “He had to be really disciplined in whatever he could do, rehab-wise. He had to be very disciplined doing that, and he was. I think he’s on the right track.”"

These quotes from two the strongest arms running the Texans’ organization are quite strong and optimistic but don’t go far enough in terms of his exact return.

Here’s what I think is going to happen.

He won’t be ready for training camp but he’ll likely make his return by Week 4 of the NFL season at best but could be out longer.

Nov 16, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) rushes against Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas (73) during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Texans won 23-7. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

I hope I’m wrong on this and he makes the most miraculous recovery in the history of these types of procedures.

But another question remains.

We he does return, will he be the same impact player that we saw in his collegiate days at South Carolina or just a shell of his former self?

It has been said that the success rate for these types of surgeries are right at the 50/50 mark certainly meaning that there are no guarantees.