With the calendar now turning to June, the pressure is on for former Houston Texans Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney to find his next opportunity before training camp starts in July.
The 32-year-old defender was shockingly released by the Carolina Panthers last month after only one season with the club. Clowney didn’t play horribly in his lone season in Carolina, as he had 46 combined tackles, 11 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four pass deflections.
However, Clowney didn’t make a notable impact on what was one of the worst defenses against the run and in scoring.
That said, the veteran pass rusher still believes he has something left in the tank. One potential landing spot is off the table for the ex-Texans defender after a veteran pass rusher was traded on Friday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers are working on finalizing a trade involving veteran defensive end Bryce Huff. Huff had a poor 2024 season with the Eagles after signing a massive three-year, $51.1 million deal last offseason.
Huff is also reworking his contract to make sure this deal gets done, which won’t be completed until after June 1 (Sunday).
The 49ers were one of the teams that needed more pass-rushing help, even though they used their first-round pick on Mykel Williams to play alongside Nick Bosa. Clowney would’ve been an intriguing option for the 49ers, especially under the direction of Robert Saleh.
However, Saleh feels comfortable with Huff, whom he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Jets, and probably feels he can get him back on track after a disappointing 2024 season in Philadelphia (13 combined tackles, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in 12 games).
Clowney is the more accomplished player than Huff, but Huff is younger and already has a history with Saleh.
While things look bleak for the former Texan, things can change in an instant in the NFL. There are still a few teams in the league who could use a veteran off the edge before training camp starts this summer.