Jadeveon Clowney cashes in on Panthers’ homecoming  

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Jadaveon Clowney poses with his jersey at Bank of America Stadium on March 29. Clowney, who tallied a career-best 9.5 sacks for Baltimore in 2023, signed a two-year deal worth a reported $20 million with the Panthers.

With his 4-year-old daughter, Jerzie Ane, stealing the show to open his introductory press conference, new Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney hinted at sharing the stage with another Rock Hill, S.C., native who is available as a free agent.

“Before I signed, I did talk to Stephon [Gilmore], and he was like, ‘I’m trying to get them to sign me back too,’” Clowney said in recalling a conversion with his former teammate and friend at South Pointe High. “And I was like, ‘Now, I’m gonna sign this contract, and you’re telling me when I sign, you’re gonna come.’ And he was like, ‘We gonna see, man.’

“Yeah, I’m trying to get him to pull up. I was like, ‘We gotta do the Rock Hill thing over, the South Carolina thing over. Trying to get him to come home with me again and have some fun.”

Coming off a career-best 9.5 sack campaign during a “prove it” deal with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, Clowney signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the rebuilding Panthers on Wednesday. The 2014 No. 1 overall draft pick can make another $4 million in incentives, while adding instant credibility to a team coming off a 2-15 season.

Coming home allowed Clowney to address the low point of his 10-year, injury-plagued career.  

At the end of the 2022 campaign, Clowney fell out of favor with the Cleveland Browns organization. He said he played 12 games with a torn triceps and endured “all the stuff going on with my elbow.” His play suffered and following a late-season report suggesting he was “95%” confident he would not return for a third season in Cleveland, a firestorm of criticism evolved. He was soon released.

At the time, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski summed up the situation to reporters by stating: “Nothing comes above the team.”

The public shot resonated with Clowney during his bounce-back season with the Ravens or as he described it, his “Kobe year.” Wearing No. 24, Clowney had a career campaign, highlighted by two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. When the Ravens balked at matching his salary demands, new Panthers General Manager Dan Morgan was eager to open the team checkbook.

Clowney, who is now with his sixth franchise, said Friday he was finally able to respond to his Cleveland critics.

“I never really got to really respond to that,” Clowney said. “Or say anything about what was said. I just swallowed that and went to work and got back to grinding and working out. I said, ‘I just need one opportunity to show these people that I can still do this at a high level,’ and that I’m not the guy (the story) tried to make me out to be.  

“And Baltimore gave me the opportunity to come back and play. And I said, ‘I’m just gonna try to make it a comeback year that everybody will remember.’”
He did. Even if the decision disappointed his oldest son, Jahlil, 9.

‘Excited to wear No. 7’

During his father’s one season with the Ravens, Jahlil became a big Lamar Jackson fan and asked Clowney to re-sign with the Ravens. The head of the household ultimately decided on a bigger payday.  
“He’ll come around,” Clowney said.

Like his uniform number. For the first time since he was a standout at South Carolina, Clowney will don the No. 7 jersey. Linebacker Shaq Thompson is switching back to No. 54.

“When I first came on my visit, I asked if 24 was available and they said, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘Man I played well in 24, that's my Kobe Bryant year and I wanted that,’ ” Clowney said.

Then Clowney heard something better.

“They said 7 was available, too, and I was like, ‘Oh man, that would take me back to high school. I think I’m going to go with 7.’  I always wanted to wear seven.”
Will it bring the franchise luck?

Clowney appeared in 17 games last season for the first time in his career. He said Friday that the older he gets, the wiser he has become, discovering ways to stay healthy. His 43 tackles and 19 quarterback hits in 2023 were Clowney’s best since 2018. He is one tackle for loss shy of 100 for his career.

Clowney described his homecoming with the Panthers as a “blessing.”  

The Panthers’ brass would probably second the motion. After enduring the blowback of trading Brian Burns and not receiving a first-round draft pick in return, Morgan has, in essence, transformed Burns’ franchise tag cost of $24 million into five potential 2024 starters:  

• Robert Hunt ($6.45 million cap hit)

• Damien Lewis ($4.9 million)    

• D.J. Wonnum ($4.125 million)

* A'Shawn Robinson ($3.29 million)   

* Josey Jewell ($3.483 million)

The total is approximately $22.2 million for 2024.

And now Clowney, who is optimistic the roster rebuild will be brief.

“I think we can turn this thing around and have a good time here,” he said. “There’s no reason the Panthers can’t come out on top of the division this year and make the playoffs. And then once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.”

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