Jadeveon Clowney Signs With Hometown Team In Free Agency

CINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 07: Jadeveon Clowney #90 of the Cleveland Browns waves to fans before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 07, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Jadeveon Clowney is heading back home.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Clowney signed with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday. The two-year, $20 million deal is worth up to $24 million with incentives.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Clowney played three seasons with the Gamecocks before getting drafted with the No. 1 pick two years ago. His high school, South Pointe, is less than an hour’s drive away from Bank of America Stadium.

Clowney hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since earning his third straight invite with the Houston Texans in 2018. Yet he remains a potent pass rusher capable of bolstering Carolina’s defense.

For the second time in his 10-year career, Clowney didn’t miss a single game last season. Including the postseason, he tallied 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles for the Baltimore Ravens

Pro Football Focus awarded Clowney his best player grade (85.7) since 2019. He helped the Ravens allow an NFL-low 16.5 points per game during the regular season.

Clowney will now play for his sixth different team in seven seasons. After five years in Houston, he spent one season with the Seattle Seahawks, one with the Tennessee Titans, and two on the Cleveland Browns before joining Baltimore.

The 31-year-old goes from the team with last year’s best record to the worst. Carolina went 2-15, allowing the fourth-most points despite yielding the fourth-fewest yards.

Earlier this offseason, the Panthers traded star edge rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants. They signed another South Carolina alum, D.J. Wonnum, from the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month.