The wait is over: Jadeveon Clowney re-signs with Browns

There has been speculation about a reunion between the Cleveland Browns and Jadeveon Clowney and on Sunday, the two sides agreed to a new contract. 

There has been a lot of talk about the Cleveland Browns and EDGE rusher Jadeveon Clowney running it back for the 2022 season, and on Sunday, that chatter became a reality. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com was the first to report on it.

The deal is a one-year deal, worth $11 million. Two quick things about this; 1. Clowney is notorious for signing later in the offseason and 2. He loves one-year contracts over the past couple of seasons.

Here is a little bigger nugget in regards to Clowney signing this one-year deal with Cleveland; according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Clowney turned down $14 and $15 million per year offers from other teams who were willing to give him a multi-year deal. That’s very telling of how he feels about the Browns and what he thinks this team is capable of moving forward.

Clowney will reunite with fellow EDGE rusher, Myles Garrett, who has been campaigning for his battering mate to return. Last season, the duo combined for 25 sacks, with Garrett setting the Browns’ single-season record with 16 and Clowney racking up nine. This was a year removed from Clowney coming off a two-year stretch where he had three combined sacks with the Seahawks and Titans.

This reunification between Clowney and the Browns spells trouble for opposing quarterbacks. Not only will Clowney and Garrett benefit from each other, but they will also likely be able to lift up and create opportunities for newly-drafted defensive linemen Perrion Winfrey, Alex Wright, and Isaiah Thomas. The Browns still should explore for some more depth, perhaps Akiem Hicks, to really bolster this defensive line.

As all of you reading this already know, the Browns traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson back in March. Watson and Clowney were teammates in Houston during Watson’s first two NFL seasons. Clowney had told Watson ahead of the trade, how much he enjoyed playing in Cleveland in 2021. Depending on how many – if any – games Watson is suspended by the NFL, this has a chance to be a special season for the Browns.

The wait is finally over and now we can move on to other talking/speculating points. Jadeveon Clowney returning to the Cleveland Browns has been anticipated since the end of last season, so this re-signing comes of no surprise.