Panthers Should Still Reunite with Former Cowboys Star Jadeveon Clowney

The Carolina Panthers did not draft a single edge rusher this year after taking two in 2025. Those two, along with the recent acquisition of Jaelan Phillips in free agency, seemingly put the position group into good enough shape to ignore it in the draft.

However, those three still only combined for 11.5 sacks, which is not ideal for three players who are supposed to lead that department for a team. The expectation is that production will jump, especially for the two second-year players, with Phillips, a pressure fiend, on the roster now.

The Panthers could, though, scour the remains of the free agent market to find one more impactful free agent. There just so happens to be a former Panther sitting there who'd be a fine addition to the pass rush: Jadeveon Clowney.

Panthers should bring Jadeveon Clowney back

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (42) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Washington Commanders | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Panthers signed Jadeveon Clowney in 2024 as part of an effort to reshape the pass rush through the bargain bin of free agency. It didn't really work out, although Clowney had 5.5 sacks on his own, which led the team and would've led the team again in 2025.

They cut him to save a little bit of money but also to free up spots for Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. The logic was sound, but that didn't translate to immediate improvement on the sack front.

Clowney remains available, and he'd be, according to PFF's Bradley Locker, perfect for this Panthers defense. Locker is right. Clowney can obviously play Ejiro Evero's system, and he'd be a fantastic rotational piece instead of the centerpiece.

"Clowney did his part on a subpar Cowboys defense, accruing an 80.6 PFF pass-rush grade with 40 pressures. The former No. 1 overall pick has maintained strong play against the pass despite getting older, assembling at least a 14.9% pass-rush win rate every year since 2023," Locker pointed out.

Locker also noted that neither Scourton nor Umanmielen, both of whom flashed in different ways as rookies, surpassed the 62.0 mark in pass rush grade. Clowney would be an upgrade in that aspect, but he would also primarily be a good mentor for them.

Plus, when the Panthers need a sack, they could send Clowney out with Phillips. If Clowney was able to rush the passer pretty well by himself in 2024 and 2025, imagine what he could do with Phillips creating pressure on the other side.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Right now, the Panthers have four edge rushers. They're hopeful that the vision they had for Pat Jones last offseason can come to fruition now that he's healthy again, but they can easily cut him to save a few bucks and open up a spot for Clowney.

And in that sense, the Panthers would be upgrading. Clowney would be a better version of the rotational mentor pass-rusher that Carolina envisions Jones being. It's a move just begging to be made, but it remains to be seen whether the Panthers will do it or if Clowney's interested after being cut before the 2025 season.

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