John McClain: Texans May Not Extend Jadeveon Clowney’s Contract This Offseason

One of the few things I thought was certain entering this offseason was that the Texans would extend Jadeveon Clowney. This hasn’t happened yet. Clowney got his knee cleaned up at the conclusion of the 2017 season. He hasn’t participated in football-related activities thus far; he was missing during OTAs and the mandatory mini-camp. I happen to think that Clowney not playing is better than him kind of playing this time of year. His health for the 2018 season is more important than punching a man holding a pad in June.

Because of this, there hasn’t been much going on with the Clowney extension. I don’t know if Houston is waiting for him to get back on the field, for Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack’s extension to set the market, or if they need to see a healthy 2018 season from the first overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, considering the team has the option to use the franchise tag as leverage.

Clowney getting extended this offseason was the consensus, and there hasn’t been much of anything published that says the opposite.

Then the legend himself spoke.

John McClain wrote that maybe, quite possibly, Clowney will not be extended this offseason after all. McClain even walked the plank and claimed that Houston might not sign Clowney to any sort of extension until he proves he’s truly healthy.

When the Texans entered the offseason, two of their goals were to sign linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Benardrick McKinney to contract extensions.

McKinney, a second-round pick in 2015, signed a five-year, $50 million extension last week. He gets $21 million guaranteed.

Clowney, the first overall pick in 2014, has yet to sign an extension. Before last season, the Texans exercised his fifth-year option for 2018, when he’ll make $12.3 million.

I may be wrong, but I don’t think the Texans will sign Clowney to an extension. He missed the on-field part of the offseason program to rehab a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery in January. Until he shows them he’s healthy, able to consistently stay on the field and play as well or better than last season, I don’t see them committing long-term to him.

Coach Bill O’Brien said recently that Clowney assured him he would be on the field when the Texans start training camp in West Virginia on July 26. That would give them a six-week window to sign Clowney to an extension.

You can read the full article here.

Troy over at Texans Cap offered his thoughts as well if you want some additional analysis of the Texans’ options with Clowney.

My best guess is that Clowney’s extension still gets done this offseason. Brian Cushing, DeAndre Hopkins, and J.J. Watt were all extended by a different general manager during training camp; although Brian Gaine is a different man, he just showed the same propensity to signing players before they hit free agency by extending Benardrick McKinney.

Clowney is great. He still hasn’t reached his massive potential. He’s integral to the success of Houston’s defense. There’s no reason to deal with free agency or upset the player with the franchise tag. If the Texans’ defense can ever get an entire season of J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, and Clowney, the results could be apocalyptic.

Pay him, Rick Brian.