Stacy Rost: Why Seahawks may be on Clowney Watch again

The Seattle Seahawks’ defense is running back most of its 2024 squad with a few new faces, but that doesn’t mean they’re done adding.

Report: Seahawks, GM John Schneider reach contract extension

That’s due to an uncertain timetable for outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu following knee surgery. Seattle placed Nwosu on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list entering camp and head coach Mike Macdonald gave a less-than-encouraging update.

“We’ll go into the preseason probably, throughout the rest of camp, and then we’ll go from there,” Macdonald told reporters a week ago when asked about Nwosu’s recovery. “We’ll just hold onto the timeline right now, but we’re not necessarily close right now.”

That means we could be back … on Jadeveon Clowney Watch (TM).

No, really.

Is it 2021 again?

A potential reunion with the former Texans No. 1 overall pick was a storyline for a few seasons following his 2019 stint with Seattle, but it never actually came to fruition. Today, I’ve mostly mentioned it as a joke, but one Seahawks reporter thinks it could be a possibility.

“Absolutely,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson answered Tuesday when we asked him Tuesday on Bump and Stacy whether Seattle’s front office could add another veteran to their defense. “And it’s the edge rushers, or just edge defenders in general.

“I know they were interested in Von Miller before he signed with Washington. And I still think that they’re going to add another veteran at some point, whether it’s Jadeveon Clowney, who is still out there and available. He obviously played in Seattle and has a connection to Mike Macdonald. Maybe there’s somebody other than Trey Hendrickson who’s unhappy with their contract on another team and who isn’t going to be asking for $40 million.”

Clowney remains a free agent after playing last season with the Panthers (5.5 sacks in 14 starts). He matched a career high 9.5 sacks just two years ago as part of Macdonald’s Baltimore Ravens defense — one that led the NFL in sacks with 60 and saw a massive jump in its pass defense.

Vintage Jadeveon Clowney 🔥

📺: #BALvsLAC on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/4A9GOmQsZC pic.twitter.com/IuoH2DJMIR

— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2023

Clowney will be 32 in 2025 (a reminder that he entered the league in 2014 at just 21 years old), younger than current Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (who, for what it’s worth, has looked phenomenal through a week of camp). He has started no fewer than 10 games in each of the last four seasons and has 26 sacks during that span. This time around, he wouldn’t be coming in to be a significant contributor, but rather part of a rotation that could desperately use some depth.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reports Clowney still has interest in playing in 2025 and that Clowney disclosed he’s been in touch with four to five teams. Might one of them be headed up by his former defensive coordinator?

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