The Houston Texans have added a familiar name to a defensive front that was already drawing plenty of attention.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Houston has agreed to a deal with Jadeveon Clowney, bringing the former No. 1 overall pick back to the team where his NFL career began. Garafolo reported that Clowney is staying in Texas after an 8.5-sack season with the Cowboys.
The move gives the Texans another reunion on Sunday afternoon, following the previously reported signing of Mario Edwards. Edwards had been part of Houston’s defense in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons before being released earlier this offseason.
Clowney is the bigger swing, though, and the one that could matter most. He spent five seasons with Houston from 2014 through 2019, and this return comes with a clear football purpose: the Texans needed help on the edge.
That need had been a talking point heading into training camp. Even with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter giving Houston a dangerous pair off the edge, the defense had an obvious question behind them after the Texans moved on from Derek Barnett and Denico Autry earlier this offseason.
That left Dominique Robinson and Dylan Horton as the likeliest options to back up Anderson and Hunter, and neither has recorded more than two sacks in a season.
So the fit with Clowney makes sense. Houston is bringing in a veteran pass rusher with more than a decade of NFL experience and one of his best recent seasons fresh in the books.
Clowney is entering his age-33 season, but he was still productive in 2025 with Dallas. In 13 games, he posted 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. It was his third straight season with more than 40 tackles, and his third in the last five years with at least eight sacks.
The Texans had been linked to him multiple times this offseason. Right before training camp, Houston was mentioned as a possible landing spot along with the Cleveland Browns and the Seattle Seahawks.
The connection was easy to see. Clowney already knows the organization, still lives in the Houston area, and fills a clear need on the roster. Now the speculation is over.
If he stays healthy and carries over the level he showed late last season, Clowney can step in immediately as a major rotational piece behind Anderson and Hunter. That gives Houston a three-man edge rush group that could be a problem for offenses every week, while also adding one of the best pass rushers still on the market.
By Week One, the Texans expect him to be in line for plenty of snaps.
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