Free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney is on the hunt for what will be his seventh different team in the last eight seasons.
After entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick with the Houston Texans in 2014, the 33-year-old Clowney is now entering the twilight of his career, so the opportunity will have to align with his interests. That opportunity may very well come within the contentious walls of the NFC North, primarily with the Green Bay Packers.
Jadeveon Clowney May Finish His Career in the North
According to SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora, three candidates are emerging as suitors for Clowney’s services: the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions, and the aforementioned Packers, with the latter of the bunch headlining the list as favorites.
“Every team in the NFC North, for instance, is lacking a defensive player in the mould of Clowney, and it would not surprise league execs if he ended up with Chicago,” La Canfora wrote. “Detroit or Green Bay, in particular.”
The Bears’ cupboard on the edge is relatively bare sans Montez Sweat, and they were unable to capitalize on the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes earlier this offseason. Cameron Jordan was an option for them as well; however, he returned to the New Orleans Saints for what will be his 16th season with the franchise.
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The Lions, meanwhile, need some star power opposite All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson, who finished 2025 with 14.5 sacks. Al-Quadin Muhammad was second on the team with 11, but he’s now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The next-closest edge defender was Tyrus Wheat with 1.5 sacks, and he’s no longer with the team, either. The Lions signed D.J. Wonnum in free agency in an effort to alleviate those losses, but they’re still severely lacking at the position.
Perhaps no team makes greater sense for Clowney than the Packers. They’re more than likely going to spend half of the season trying to stay afloat without Micah Parsons in their defensive lineup. The All-Pro is recovering from the torn ACL he sustained in the Dec. 14 loss to the Denver Broncos, and the Packers are going to exercise caution with his return. It was also revealed that Parsons tore his meniscus, which complicates his return-to-play timeline.
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“Clowney is in no hurry to sign anywhere, according to sources with knowledge of the situation,” wrote La Canfora. “And at this stage of his career, even training camp, or a full training camp, is not a prerequisite for him.
“One executive told SportsBoom he has a hunch that Clowney ends up with the Packers.”
The Packers will need a short-term solution, and Clowney provides exactly that. He has a diverse pass-rushing repertoire that will allow new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon some added flexibility on the defensive line, even if he’ll be short-handed without Parsons in his arsenal. Lukas Van Ness is projected to lead the group into 2026, with fourth-round pick Dani Dennis-Sutton, second-year players Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver, and Brenton Cox Jr rounding out the depth chart.
If Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, can add some juice to an otherwise less-than-inspiring group sans Parsons, then it’d behoove the Packers to pursue him. He’s been productive at just about every stop in his career, and as he’s aged, he’s seemingly only improved.
Despite playing for four different teams over the last five seasons, Clowney has surpassed eight sacks in three of them, including 8.5 in 13 games for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025. According to PFSN’s EDGE Impact Metric, Clowney finished the 2023 NFL season as the 14th-ranked player at his position with an impact score of 84.9, which is his highest mark over the past five seasons.
At this stage of his career, Clowney isn’t going to be expensive, so it’d be plausible for the Packers to take a swing. The biggest deal he’s signed in recent years was the two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers in 2024. Other than that, Clowney has mostly been playing on affordable, one-year contracts. His deal with the Cowboys last year was worth just $3.45 million.
