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The Cowboys, whom Jadeveon Clowney played for in 2025, were his sixth team since leaving the Texans before the 2019 season. Now the No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 draft is back for a second stint in Houston.<\/p>\n
Tom Fox\/Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been eight years since edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney<\/a> last wore a Houston Texans<\/a> jersey.\u00a0<\/p>\n But since leaving in 2018, he\u2019s remained in the city where he was drafted 12 years ago<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n That made things easier Sunday, when he decided he was going to sign a one-year deal with the team that took him No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft, passing on several others who offered him more money and a guaranteed starting role.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n It was a decision Clowney didn\u2019t take lightly. For\u00a0Clowney, 33, it was more about his family and contributing to a team he thought he could help win a Super Bowl than it was about the money.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the Texans, it was about improving a defensive line unit was desperately lacking depth behind its superstars Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Texans prefer to rotate their defensive linemen to keep their starters fresh throughout the game.<\/p>\n Anderson and Hunter played about 65% of the defensive snaps last year, leaving 35% to the backups. That\u2019s a significant percentage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Defensive linemen Denico Autry and Derek Barnett, who served as Houston\u2019s primary backups the past two years, along with Dylan Horton, had success in those roles. They combined for nine sacks, 12 tackles for loss and two blocked field goals in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Autry and Barnett left in free agency, replaced by Dominique Robinson<\/a>, Ali Gaye and Logan Hall<\/a> \u2014 all young players with fewer games under their belts.<\/p>\n Those three players also combined for just three sacks last season. And through offseason workouts\u00a0and the first week of training camp, none of them had done much to stand out.\u00a0<\/p>\n The depth behind Anderson and Hunter, who combined for 27 sacks last season, was perhaps this revamped defense\u2019s only weakness at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n And in the case that either Anderson or Hunter miss a game or extended\u00a0time, then the Texans would lose significant production on one side.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Jadeveon Clowney played alongside J.J. Watt for five seasons to begin his NFL career. Clowney is now back to help spell the Texans’ next generational edge rusher, Will Anderson Jr.<\/p>\n Brett Coomer\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n The Texans’ coaching staff and front office apparently realized that and reached out to Clowney,\u00a0who had mutual interest in remaining in his adopted home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clowney choosing the Texans at a discounted price ($5.5 million) was the best-case scenario for\u00a0this team.<\/p>\n He was arguably the best edge rusher left in free agency. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n