Jadeveon Clowney’s path back to the field is trending in the right direction as the Houston Texans move toward Week 1.
Clowney, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Houston earlier in training camp, has been sidelined since suffering a reported soft tissue injury in the Texans’ second preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. There’s also been a lingering ankle issue in the mix, but it hasn’t been viewed as serious.
That matters now because Houston is just 10 days away from opening the regular season against the Buffalo Bills, and any missed practice time or setbacks are worth watching closely. For now, though, the outlook appears encouraging.
According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, Clowney is expected to be ready to play against the Bills next weekend while he continues to recover from the minor soft-tissue injury.
#Texans three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is doing well after sustaining minor soft-tissue hip injury during #Raiders preseason game and is expected to be ready for #Bills game, per a league source. Has also dealt with mild ankle issue, not serious. pic.twitter.com/wFnR3vdKLU
The Texans have not needed Clowney to come in as a starter on the edge, with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter set to handle those roles. But Houston did bring him in for a reason. A veteran like Clowney gives the defense another reliable option, a rotational piece who can keep the pass rush fresh and dangerous behind the top two names.
Last season with the Dallas Cowboys, Clowney played in 13 games and posted 41 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. It was his third season in the last five years with at least eight sacks, and he did it while playing just 44% of the defensive snaps in the games he appeared in.
Now 34, Clowney is entering his 14th NFL season and trying to make an impact in Houston, the franchise that selected him first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. If he’s available for Week 1, it would be a clean start to what the Texans are hoping becomes a productive return.
In Other News...
Texans Receiver Picture Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
The Texans receiver room has already taken on an early-season wrinkle before the schedule even settles in. Tank Dell will begin the year on injured reserve, but the team says he is moving in the right direction, and that leaves Houston to sort through the rest of its options while trying to keep the offense steady around its other personnel moves.
Nick Caserios latest roster review has only added to the picture, with Houston making the trade for offensive lineman Nate Thomas and bringing in wide receiver Kayshon Boutte as part of the broader evaluation. The club also kept undrafted defenders Sabastian Harsh and Collin Wright on the active roster, a reminder that the final shape of this team is still being sorted out as the Texans wait to see how the depth chart settles behind Dell. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Mourn A Respected Coach Who Helped Shape A Super Bowl Unit
Charles Kippy Browns passing at 71 is a reminder of how much of the NFL is built by coaches whose work never always shows up in the spotlight. Brown spent a long career moving through college programs and several pro stops, and along the way he earned a reputation as a teacher who helped players grow into better versions of themselves. For those who followed the Seahawks run to Super Bowl XLVIII, his time as Seattles wide receivers coach remains part of that legacy.
Browns football story reached far beyond one championship team. He also made history as the first Black quarterback in Memphis State football history, a distinction that added another layer to a career already defined by trailblazing and steady influence. The Seahawks are mourning a respected coach, but the broader football world is also left reflecting on the kind of impact he had, and on the many players and programs shaped by his presence over the years. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Finally Look Built For The Moment Fans Have Wanted
The Texans spent years trying to patch together a foundation, but the last couple of offseasons have given the franchise a far clearer shape. Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have pushed the organization toward a more disciplined structure, and the results are showing up where it matters most: a sturdier defense, a better offensive line and a coaching staff that looks built to support a young roster instead of prop it up.
C.J. Stroud remains the center of the whole operation, and his development will tell the rest of the story. Houston has put itself in position to enter the season with real expectations again, but the next step is proving the gains are sustainable and that the roster can handle the pressure that comes with being taken seriously. [Read more 🡒]