The Houston Texans enter 2025 with big expectations. In many ways, it feels like deja vu as Houston finished 10-7 a year ago and lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. But this time has brought many changes including a new offensive coordinator, a revamped offensive line and a youth movement at receiver headlined by a pair of former Iowa State Cyclones.
The more things change in Houston, however, the more they stay the same everywhere else. A former Texan star is available on the free agent market once again and his shocking release could serve multiple suitors. While that list includes a few Super Bowl contenders, it also could include linking up with another AFC rival who could push the Texans with a renaissance season in 2025.
Patriots Could Sign Former Texans Star Jadeveon Clowney After OTAs
The New England Patriots have been undergoing their own overhaul as they try to look to move on from their second straight 4-13 campaign. The Patriots thought replacing Bill Belichick with Jerod Mayo would solve the problem, but after a similar result, New England turned to another branch in its family tree by hiring Mike Vrabel.
A former Texans linebacker, Vrabel is unlikely to turn around a Patriots team with so many holes on the roster. But New England has done its best to fill their needs this offseason by going on an offseason spending spree. Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Carlton Davis are some of the players to sign on the dotted line and when it was all over the Patriots spent nearly $360 million in total money to bring them to Foxborough.
It’s important to remember that football contracts contain plenty of monopoly money for salary cap reasons and the player may not even get to see all of it. But it’s still a big reminder that Vrabel and the Patriots want to win now and could use their $67.6 million in cap space to make it happen.
This is where Clowney comes in. The Patriots solved one pass-rush spot by signing Landry this offseason, but have big questions on the opposite side. Anfernee Jennings had 78 total tackles last year but his 2.5 sacks doesn’t make him much of a pass-rushing threat. K’Lavon Chaisson is a former first-round bust with his third team in the past three seasons and Bradyn Swinson is a lottery ticket as a fifth-round pick.
With that group in place, it sounds like the Patriots could use a proven commodity. Clowney has 58 career sacks since being selected with the first overall pick by the Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft and had a decent year, recording 46 tackles (nine for loss) and 5.5 sacks with the Carolina Panthers last season. While it should be noted that Clowney played on a defense that allowed the most points in NFL history, you could also say he didn’t have much help.
Vrabel and Clowney have worked together before, although it resulted in no sacks over eight games with the Titans during the 2020 season. But even if Vrabel chose to use the 32-year-old as a situational pass-rusher, it would be an upgrade over what he has now.
It could give the Patriots a chance for a quick turnaround in Vrabel’s first season and another adversary for the Texans to worry about as they seek their third straight playoff appearance.