Jadeveon Clowney is returning home to the team that drafted him back in 2014. Over the weekend, it was announced that Clowney, who is entering his 13th NFL season, would be returning to the Texans to join DeMeco Ryans' star-studded defense for the 2026 defense.Â
And we now have details on just how much Houston is paying its newest pass-rusher. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2', Clowney is signing a one-year contract with a $5.5 million base salary. The contract also includes incentives that can reach up to a max value of $8 million.Â
Clowney was most recently with the Dallas Cowboys last season, where he finished with 41 total tackles and 8.5 sacks. His one-year deal with Dallas was worth up to $6 million, so his contract with incentives in Houston is slightly higher than what he was making in Dallas.Â
In Houston, Clowney joins an elite defense that's led the league in yards allowed per game the last two seasons. Along the defense line, the Texans already have star pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr., who has combined for 23 sacks in each of his last two seasons. The unit also includes big-name guys in linebacker Henry To'oTo'o, Azeez Al-Shaair, Derek Stingley Jr. and secondary stars in Reed Blankenship and Kamar Lassiter.
At $5.5 million, his base salary puts him on the lower end of some of the league's highest-paid EDGE rushers. Obviously Clowney could have signed a bigger deal if he chose to go elsewhere in the league. In fact, it was even reported that he was even visiting one of his other former teams in the Cleveland Browns, where he had 11 sacks during the 2021-2022 seasons.Â
Instead, Clowney chose to stay within Texas and go to a defense that's looking to make strides in the playoffs during the 2026-27 season. The Texans have gone to the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons under Ryans. Not to mention the fact that at 33 years old, he may not have to do as much every down with such elite defensive personnel around him.Â
Clowney was drafted by the Texans with the No. 1 overall pick in 2014, and he goes back to a place where he had one of the most productive stints of his career. He made three consecutive Pro Bowls with Houston from 2016-18, as well as being named a Second-Team All-Pro in 2016. His best season came in 2017 in Houston, as he finished with 57 total tackles including 9.5 sacks with 21 quarterback hits. His last season with the Texans in 2018, he finished with 47 total tackles, nine sacks and 21 quarterback hits.Â
The former South Carolina Gamecock will be eager to prove that despite his age, he can elevate Houston's defense to new heights. And the best part is Clowney and the Texans' defense will go up against one of the best offenses in the league in Week 1. Houston opens the 2026 season at home against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Sept. 13.
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