A tip o' the cap to bhsman for alerting me to this article by Brady Poppinga about Jadeveon Clowney's recovery from microfracture surgery. While it doesn't offer much in the way of news about Clowney or his quest to get back on the field, it's notable in its message, which is to preach patience for both the player and team as the first overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft attempts to show the Texans' faith in him was justified. Here's an excerpt:
Although it may sound premature and too early in the process to put pressure on Clowney to perform, the reality is when you're drafted as high as he was, the expectations are even higher. But if the pressure to perform prompts a player to rush a tenuous rehab to "prove something," the problems for his career can become just as serious as unmet expectations. The dream of Clowney and J.J. Watt as an extremely disruptive defensive duo is still a very real possibility, but it will take smart and diligent efforts from team and player to make that happen.
With all the optimism coming from the team about Jadeveon Clowney's progress, it's important to temper it a bit with the reality that we are still talking about a guy who had an extraordinarily serious surgical procedure a little more than six months ago. It'd be great if he was out there when the Texans host the Chiefs for Week 1 of the 2015 regular season. But if he's not ready, there's no need to freak out.