Former Cleveland Browns veteran edge Jadeveon Clowney will be on the search for a new team this upcoming season after he was shockingly cut on Thursday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Carolina Panthers released the former Browns pass rusher, who just finished his first year with the club.
The #Panthers are releasing edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, per sources. pic.twitter.com/apRKKoWcjN
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) May 8, 2025
Clowney was heading into the final year of a two-year, $20 million deal he signed last offseason. The 32-year-old didn’t play badly last season with the Panthers. ESPN’s David Newton reported after the 2025 NFL draft that Carolina had talks about moving Clowney before the NFL’s three-day extravaganza.
The former No. 1 pick had 46 combined tackles, 11 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and four pass deflections in 14 games. Clowney couldn’t replicate his sack numbers from 2023, where he had 9.5 with the Baltimore Ravens.
However, he was tied for first in Carolina and had a 73.2 pass rush grade (30th among 211 EDGEs), per Pro Football Focus.
Before signing with Carolina last year, the veteran defender spent the 2023 season with the Ravens and the prior two seasons (2022 and 21) with the Cleveland Browns. The veteran pass rusher signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Browns in April 2021 after playing with the Tennessee Titans in 2020.
In his first year with the Browns, Clowney had 37 combined tackles, 19 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two pass deflections, and two forced fumbles (14 games). It was a great way to make a good impression on the fanbase.
After a stellar 2021 season, Clowney re-signed with the Browns on another one-year deal, this time for $10 million in May 2022.
However, the veteran pass rusher’s second year in Cleveland did not go as planned. Clowney was limited to 12 games due to injuries. The former Houston Texans defender took a step back, posting 28 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, three pass deflections, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
He was also at the center of drama to end his tenure, ripping the organization and calling out the coaching staff for allegedly not utilizing him properly. That caused him to be sent home and miss the regular season finale.
Browns fans did not foresee that drop-off from Clowney, so you can only imagine they weren’t excited to see him bounce back with their AFC North rival in 2023. With all that being said, we’ll see where the ex-Browns pass rusher goes next, as some teams are looking for veterans on the d-line.