The Houston Texans and Clowney have agreed to terms on a deal, reuniting the veteran pass rusher with the franchise that made him the first overall pick in the 2014 draft.
Per KPRC2 in Houston, the deal carries a base value of $5.5 million with a max value of $8 million.
A Full-Circle Moment
Clowney's return comes seven years after his original Texans tenure ended.
From 2014 to 2018, he racked up 29 sacks, 205 tackles, 67 quarterback hits, five forced fumbles, and five recoveries across 62 games in Houston, developing into a franchise cornerstone before the team applied the franchise tag following a 9.5-sack season.
Reunion: The #Texans are signing their own former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, per me and @MikeGarafolo.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 2, 2026
Clowney, who played last year for the #Cowboys, stays in his hometown to play. A quick photoshop: pic.twitter.com/ACZYDLQZgH
He then bounced through six organizations over a seven-year stretch, including stops in Seattle, Tennessee, Cleveland twice, Baltimore, Carolina, and most recently Dallas.
The reunion came together after Clowney reached out directly to Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans about a return.
How He Got Here
The path to Houston ran through Cleveland first.
Clowney visited the Browns last week, and general manager Andrew Berry told reporters he was hopeful his team could strike a deal, but no agreement materialized.
Texans have agreed to terms with DE Jadeveon Clowney.
— NFL (@NFL) August 2, 2026
(via @rapsheet, @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/XTnxxd6t0e
Clowney was also drawing interest from the Seahawks before ultimately deciding on the Texans.
Why It Fits
Clowney is coming off a productive 2025 season with the Cowboys, leading Dallas with 8.5 sacks in just 13 games and a 31.4 percent defensive snap share, including a career-high three-sack outburst against the Giants in the regular-season finale.
That production now slots into a Houston defensive front that was already one of the best in football.
The Texans posted the NFL's No. 1 total defense and No. 2 scoring defense in 2025, and Clowney joins a pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter that combined for 27 sacks last season.
Anderson's 12 sacks tied for eighth-most in the league, while Hunter added 15 of his own coming off a one-year extension.
At 33, Clowney is not expected to be an every-down starter, but a rotational role behind that duo could keep him fresh and productive, similar to his 8.5-sack showing in Dallas last season.
The move came one day after Houston re-signed veteran defensive end Mario Edwards, who has played for the team the past two seasons, adding further depth to an already stacked front four.
The Texans entered the weekend with more than $27 million in cap space, leaving Houston room for further additions as it targets a deep playoff run in 2026.
Clowney enters the season with 66.5 career sacks, 120 tackles for loss, 16 forced fumbles, and 15 fumble recoveries, with his three career fumble return touchdowns the most among active NFL players.
