Clowney makes his plea. Are the Ravens among the teams who are listening?
Talk about the two sides of the same coin. News of Jadeveon Clowney’s recent release from the Carolina Panthers swept through NFL circles this week. As a result, the loyal members of the Baltimore Ravens‘ flock have seen their ties split down the middle.
Some argue Clowney has aged past the expiration date usually given to NFL edge rushers. Others believe his reunion with the Ravens makes total sense. As time passes, both sides have become more tolerant of each other’s arguments.
The truth is neither side is wrong. Baltimore will probably be fine if they don’t invest financial resources into a reunion. Then again, there’s an old saying. NFL teams can never have too many pass rushers.
Clowney addressed his release from the Carolina Panthers shortly after it was reported, and in light of what he said, we have a question. Were the Ravens among the NFL teams who were listening?
Jadeveon Clowney’s passionate plea could force the Ravens to accelerate the pace towards a reunion.
Clowney’s words to Joe Person from The Athletic were as poignant and honest as words could be following the dismissal from one of pro football’s bottom-feeders.
“I’m definitely gonna play well. You can mark my word on that. I don’t care where I end up playing at. I’m gonna play extremely well. I think I played well for Carolina (last) year, considering the circumstances that was unfolded for me.”He continued, “I played with a bunch of guys that was hurt this past year, and I ended up playing extremely well for them. So, it is what it is. I can play the game. I can play football. There are 31 other teams. I just hope another team gives me that opportunity so I can prove myself again. I feel like I can do that.”
During his 11 NFL seasons, Clowney has reached or eclipsed the nine-sack plateau on four different occasions. The most recent time we saw such came in 2023, his lone season with the Baltimore Ravens.
He equalled a career-best 9.5 QB takedowns. He added 19 additional hits on opposing offensive signal-callers. The rest of his stat line was also very impressive: 46 tackles, including nine that resulted in a loss of yardage, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
While he’s become an NFL mercenary of sorts, Clowney’s stint with the Ravens was one of the best we’ve seen by him with any team. That was a little under two years ago. Maybe there is still something in the tank.
Baltimore addressed their needs at edge rusher by adding Mike Green during the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. We’ll see if further moves are made, but regardless of your side in this discussion, we can all agree that Clowney’s acquisition would not make a defense worse than the one that finished among the NFL’s ten best last season.