JJ Watt Shares Reaction to Texans Signing Jadeveon Clowney

The Houston Texans bolstered their pass rush with a familiar face earlier this month with their signing of Jadeveon Clowney; inking the 2014 top pick to a one-year, $5.5 million deal to reunite with the team he started his NFL career with 12 years ago.

It's a big move from the Texans that effectively brings in another proven defensive end to their already-impressive pass rush––led by what might be the best duo that any team in the NFL hosts with First Team All-Pro Will Anderson and five-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter.

Houston needed depth at the position, and Clowney will be the one to bring that.

JJ Watt Spoke on the Texans' Jadeveon Clowney Signing

One of the best players in Texans franchise history, JJ Watt, recently spoke about Houston's move to go out and go sign Clowney to the roster this year.

And for him, he's excited to see how things pan out for his former teammate. Part of that is because of the growth and maturity that Clowney has shown since his first stint in Houston to where he stands now.

“[Jadeveon Clowney] is a freak athlete, obviously," Watt said, via an interview with 95.7 The Fan. "He came in and he had that raw athleticism and that freakiness. And this league is hard. Especially when you're the number one overall pick, and everyone's looking at you as like, 'Alright, let's see it. Show us this.' It's not easy to handle."

"I think there's no question that he’s matured and grown over the years, and that's been a fun transition to watch for me. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing him in this defense. He doesn’t have all the pressure on him, because he gets to play in this unbelievable defense, and everything that comes with it."

.@JJWatt on Jadeveon Clowney last week on @957thefan w/ @SeanTPendergast & @SethCPayne :

“JD is a freak athlete. There’s no question that he’s matured & grown over the years. I’m looking forward to seeing him in this defense. Doesn’t have all the pressure on him, you add him to… pic.twitter.com/aNwE83QxSB
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) August 17, 2026

Clowney was alongside Watt for all five years he was in Houston lining up on the same defensive line. But really, it was in only two of those seasons where we really got to see their pairing upfront as expected: 2015 and 2018.

Clowney's rookie year in 2014 was shortened to four games due to injury, and Watt's 2016 and 2017 seasons were injury-shortened as well, with only eight combined games played. So on the field, these two had some untapped potential that never got to shine as anticipated.

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) celebrates with defensive end J.J. Watt (99) after sacking New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (not pictured) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But Watt, having been in the same building with Clowney for such a lengthy period, certainly sees a bit of heightened maturity out of the 13th-year defender when watching him from afar.

And now with the former top pick back in Houston joining the situation that he did, on the field, he sees a world where Clowney can be a bit of a force multiplier for an "already loaded arsenal."

"You add him into a pass rush situation where you have Will [Anderson] and Danielle [Hunter] on the edges," Watt said. "You have guys on the back end locking people down. And then JD can go somewhere in the middle of it and roam around and just destroy guards with his lateral movement, or even direct power. It’s just adding one more weapon to an already loaded arsenal.”

Clowney has proven he can still produce at a high level even in the back-nine of his NFL career. He had over eight sacks and 40 tackles with the Dallas Cowboys last season in just 13 games.

Now, he joins an even better Texans defense in a rotational role upfront that will allow him to remain impactful, and potentially be the missing piece on this side of the ball that helps them get over the hump.

At the very least, if JJ Watt is the one giving the stamp of approval for a Texans signing, that's a good sign to be had for what might be ahead.

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