Per Jason La Canfora, citing league sources, several teams are monitoring Clowney, with the expectation that he signs somewhere during training camp as has been his pattern for most of his career.
The 33-year-old is coming off a strong 8.5-sack season with the Cowboys and has produced at least 5.5 sacks in each of the last three years, proving he can still set the edge and rush the passer.
Market projections point to a one-year deal in the $3 million to $5 million range. Here are the top landing spots, all of which happen to reside in the NFC North.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers are the team most frequently connected to Clowney.
One league executive told La Canfora he has a hunch Clowney ends up in Green Bay, which needs early-season pass-rushing help with Micah Parsons rehabbing from ACL surgery.
Parsons is expected to miss significant time, and the depth behind him is thin and unproven, so Clowney would immediately raise the floor of the Packers' defensive line while providing a steady veteran presence.
There is also a roster-building incentive to wait, as signing him after the early window would protect Green Bay's compensatory pick formula for 2027.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have a clear need on the edge.
USA Today's Tyler Dragon named Clowney a top fit for Chicago, noting the Bears ranked 31st in pass rush win rate and 26th in run-stop win rate in 2025.
With Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat as the projected starters, Chicago needs more juice on the outside, and Clowney can still set the edge while offering some pass-rush sizzle.
For a team trying to build a competitive defense around its young offensive core, Clowney would be a low-cost, high-value addition.
Detroit Lions
The Lions round out the NFC North fits.
Detroit has had wretched injury luck on the edge in recent seasons and is still searching for a long-term running mate for star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, having lost Al-Quadin Muhammad to free agency after a breakout 11-sack season.
The team hopes rookie Derrick Moore can be that player, but adding Clowney would take the pressure off the young edge rushers and give defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard a proven veteran who wins late in downs.
The one complication for Detroit is whether the Lions can fit him under their cap.
Wherever Clowney lands, his late-summer signing pattern suggests a resolution is coming soon, and a playoff team getting a proven edge rusher on a cheap one-year deal would be no surprise at all.
