With Micah Parsons reportedly expected to miss the first 3 or 4 games of the season, the Green Bay Packers should be in the market to add more firepower to their pass rush under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
One way the Packers could do this is through the 2026 NFL draft, which takes place later this month. However, the other route is free agency, and luckily for them, several players are still sitting in the open market capable of making a difference, including Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney has surprisingly not signed anywhere after coming off a better-than-expected 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys, where he recorded 8.5 sacks across 13 games. Clowney told KPRC-2’s Aaron Wilson in a recent interview that he still has gas left in the tank and can fit in any scheme, which should be music to the ears of the Packers.
""I done played in every scheme, ain’t no scheme I can’t play in, 3-4 to 4-3 to whatever damn scheme that you had,” Clowney said. “I think I done proved that I can play in them all and not just play in them, but also dominate in them schemes and do my job at a high level. I just came off a great season, looking forward to doing it again and, you know, continue to prove to people and show the balance.""
Packers Should Give Serious Consideration Towards Signing Jadeveon Clowney
With Gannon taking over as defensive coordinator, there’s a chance that the Packers could stay in a 4-3 defensive scheme or move to a 3-4. They currently have the pieces at defensive end to play either scheme. But adding a player like Clowney, who has bounced back and forth between schemes and is still effective, is just what the Packers need.
After Parsons went down with a torn ACL in Week 15, the Packers’ defense only mustered three sacks in the final three games of the regular season. Then, in the playoffs, Green Bay only had one sack on Bears QB Caleb Williams, which will not get the job done.
Then, to make matters more interesting, the Packers traded Rashan Gary to Dallas and lost Kingsley Enagbare in free agency to the New York Jets. Clowney could easily fill the void left by Gary, though, especially if he plays like he did last season.
The veteran pass rusher wreaked havoc on a Cowboys’ defense that was desperate for some heat off the edge. Clowney supplied that, posting 22 quarterback pressures, 12 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and 8.5 sacks.
He was also solid in the run-stopping department, recording a 70.6 run defense grade and 27 stops, according to Pro Football Focus. As of right now, Spotrac projects Clowney’s calculated market value as a one-year, $5.7 million deal. It's a bit higher than the Cowboys gave Clowney last year, which was a one-year deal worth $3.45 million.
However, at the time, Clowney didn’t sign until the first month of the season and was coming off a 5.5-sack campaign in 2024 with the Carolina Panthers.
The Packers have $22 million available in cap space, per Over The Cap, which is more than enough to sign Clowney. But Green Bay has to be aware of other teams that could jump into the mix, like the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have $29.5 million in cap space, and star QB Lamar Jackson made it known on social media that he would like to see Clowney back when asked by a Ravens fan on Twitter.
Clowney spent the 2023 season with the Ravens, where he had 9.5 sacks. He spoke glowingly of the Ravens in his interview with Wilson, while noting that he would be open to returning there.
With all that being said, it will be interesting to see how Clowney's market plays out. He probably won’t get signed before the draft, which could allow teams like Green Bay to add a rookie or not. If the Packers don’t draft a rookie pass rusher, all signs will point towards them adding a veteran to their d-line.