Report: Knee Surgery Ends Clowney's Season
Things have not gone according to plan for Jadeveon Clowney this season.
Now, they won’t go any farther.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport, the Tennessee Titans outside linebacker underwent surgery for his torn meniscus, which effectively ends his season.
Clowney was placed on injured reserve ahead of the Titans’ Week 11 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He also missed the team’s Week 9 contest against the Chicago Bears due to the injury.
Shortly before the season, the Titans signed the three-time Pro Bowler to a one-year $12 million deal with another $3 million in incentives.
The team had hopes that Clowney would take its pass rush to a higher level. However, the results have not been as expected. The 27-year-old has not recorded a sack and has amassed just 19 tackles in eight starts. He tied his season-high with four tackles in the last game, Nov. 12 against Indianapolis.
Despite the lack of production, coaches have taken advantage of the attention Clowney attracts from opposing offenses and have lined him up at numerous spots in an attempt to disrupt blocking schemes.
Clowney admitted that familiarity played a factor in his decision to sign with Tennessee. He was reunited with coach Mike Vrabel, who was a position coach with Houston for two years and the defensive coordinator in 2017 before he took over in Tennessee. His Titans’ staff includes two defensive assistants who also coached in Houston.
Clowney had his best NFL season to date under Vrabel’s leadership in 2017. He set career-highs in sacks (9.5), tackles for loss (21), quarterback hits (21), forced fumbles (two), fumble recoveries (two) and tackles (59). He was the only AFC player with at least 20 tackles-for-loss (21) and 20 quarterback hits (20). That also was the one time in his six-year career that Clowney played all 16 games.
The first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney spent his first four NFL seasons with Houston and last season with the Seattle Seahawks. He has registered 32 sacks, 80 quarterback hits and 71 tackles for loss in 75 career contests. He also has forced eight fumbles and recovered eight fumbles.
While it’s unclear whether the Titans would like to bring back Clowney for a second season, their highest profile free-agent addition from the offseason has been just one of the handful of disappointments among newcomers. The Titans previously parted ways with veteran Pro Bowl cornerback Jonathan Joseph and Pro Bowl defensive end Vic Beasley.
