Jadeveon Clowney, Panthers Agree to 2-Year Deal

Clowney signed with Carolina after an excellent season with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Carolina Panthers bolstered their pass rush on Wednesday, signing veteran edge Jadeveon Clowney to a two-year contract. The deal will be worth $20 million but could max out at $24 million. The former All-Pro turned in an outstanding season for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, reviving his career and earning him a multiyear contract in free agency.

Clowney played in all 17 games for the Ravens last season, totaling 43 tackles and tying a career-high with 9.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus gave him an outstanding grade of 85.7 for the year. According to ESPN, Clowney was fourth among edge rushers in pass rush win rate at 25 percent. He was tied with T.J. Watt and the only players to rank higher were Micah Parsons, Myles Garrett and Will Anderson Jr. That's great company to be in.

The 2023 season was a bounce-back for Clowney after a tumultuous 2022 campaign with the Cleveland Browns. He finished that season with 28 tackles and two sacks, then complained about the way he was used. The former No. 1 overall pick later apologized for those remarks but his time in Cleveland was over. The Ravens were able to get the veteran pass rusher cheap in free agency and signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. He far exceeded expectations.

After trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants and losing Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency, the Panthers were desperate to add some pass rushing punch. While Clowney has never notched a double-digit sack season, he is consistent off the edge and also provides strength against the run. At 31, he's no longer in his prime, but can still be a steady presence on the field.

The Panthers boasted the NFL's fourth-best defense in 2023, as they held opponents to 293.9 yards per game. The pass defense ranked third, allowing 171.5 yards per contest. While those numbers were great, Carolina finished dead last in the league in sacks with 27. Only 2.5 of those came from players still on the roster.

The additions of Clowney, along with former Minnesota Vikings linebacker D.J. Wonnum, should help replace some of that lost production.

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer at The Big Lead.