NFL
Seahawks Defensive End Jadeveon Clowney Will Only Sign for 1 Type of Team in Free Agency
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterPublished14 Jan 2020
On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks‘ season came to an end with a narrow loss to the Green Bay Packers. There’s no time to feel bad, however; once you’re eliminated, there’s plenty of offseason business to take care of. The Seahawks, for example, will want to get to work re-signing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
While he technically won’t hit the open market until March, Clowney has already made his feelings clear. He’s only looking to sign with one specific type of team in free agency.
Jadeveon Clowney time with the Seattle Seahawks
After three seasons at the University of South Carolina, Jadeveon Clowney entered the NFL draft. The Houston Texans were impressed by his freakish blend of size and athleticism and selected him first overall.
Clowney struggled with injuries during his first professional season but, once healthy, quickly found his footing. His sack numbers increased with each campaign, but, off the field, everything wasn’t going as smoothly. The Texans franchised tagged Clowney as a linebacker rather than a defensive end, which placed him in a lower salary bracket; he then held out and was eventually traded to Seattle for peanuts.
Clowney’s stint in Seattle ended up being somewhat of a mixed bag. The defensive end struggled through a core muscle injury and suffered statistically; at the same time, though, he still managed to be an incredibly disruptive force and pressure opposing quarterbacks at an impressive rate.
Jadeveon Clowney only wants to join this type of team in free agency
When Seattle acquired Jadeveon Clowney from the Texans, they agreed not to franchise tag him this offseason. That means the defensive end will finally hit free agency.
That reality means he’s unsure of what will happen in the coming months. “Who knows?” Clowney explained after the Seahawks season-ending loss. “I don’t know. No clue. I’ve never been in this situation.”
There is one thing that the defensive end does know, though: the type of team he wants to join. Clowney explained that he’s looking for on-field success, not the biggest paycheck.
“I just want to win. I’m trying to get to a Super Bowl, by any means,” Clowney continued. “That’s what I’m looking for. Who gonna get me there? I ain’t looking to get on no sorry team for no money. That ain’t gonna fly. I ain’t gonna put my body through all that just to lose 16 games and go home with my check. I hate that. That ain’t what I’m doing.”
Is a return to the Seattle Seahawks still possible?
While Jadeveon Clowney and the Seahawks are yet to talk about a new contract, the club does have an advantage. Not only can they speak to the defensive end now—other teams will have to wait until March—but Clowney has had a positive experience in the Pacific Northwest.
It’s been a great experience,” Clowney said. “I met a great group of guys. I just told them I appreciate everyone in this locker room, because I didn’t know how it was going to go when I got to Seattle. You know, people look at you different when you’re the No. 1 pick, they think you’re high. I’m like, ‘Na, that ain’t me.’ I walked in laughing, giggling. They’ve been accepting me ever since.”
While the Seahawks should fit Clowney’s criteria as a contender, it’s unclear if they’d be willing to shell out enough money to keep him on the roster. Last offseason, the club failed to work out a deal with Frank Clark; they franchise tagged the defensive end, before trading him to the Kansas City Chiefs.
As of now, only two things seem set in stone. Jadeveon Clowney is going to sign with a contender in free agency, and he’s going to be paid handsomely for his services.
