Three weeks after trading Micah Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys made another splash by signing three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney to a one-year, $6 million deal, reuniting him with defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis and head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

The plan was for Clowney to boost the pass rush heading into Week 3 against the Chicago Bears, but a report came out that EVP Stephen Jones expects “Jadeveon Clowney not playing this week.” Clowney didn’t. And the final score read: Bears 31 – 14 Cowboys.

Schotty addressed Clowney’s status for Sunday: “At the end of the day, you just feel like he still needs a little bit of time to ramp up. He hasn’t played football. He wanted to go. But the concern would be if he had to play a lot of snaps, would he be able to do that? He’s doing everything in his power to be ready to go. He wanted to go. But he understands as well. Really good conversation with him before the game.”

Coming off two strong seasons with Carolina and entering 2025 as a free agent, Clowney had been eager to prove he still had plenty left, leaving Cowboys Nation questioning how the defense will cope without its marquee addition.

Clowney’s absence comes as the Cowboys juggle other roster shifts, including the loss of starting guard Cooper Beebe to an ankle injury. Dallas has turned to Brock Hoffman to plug that gap. They have banked on his prior snaps to steady the offensive line and keep the ground game afloat.

For Clowney, the 32-year-old hit free agency with many expecting him to chase a bigger payday. But he prioritized stage over salary by signing a one-year deal in Dallas. “I got seven primetime games to prove and show the world. That was my whole thought on coming down here,” he said, drawing inspiration from athletes like 37-year-old Terence Crawford to fuel his own longevity.

Now, the Cowboys are counting on that veteran edge to eventually give their defense the jolt it needs.

Brian Schottenheimer’s plan for Cowboys defense

Jadeveon Clowney’s path to Dallas is more than a contract. He and Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer previously worked together during the 2019 season with the Seattle Seahawks. “I respect him a lot,” Clowney said. “I’m going to play hard for the guy and just try to do my job for this team.”

Owner Jerry Jones also weighed in, hinting at the team’s broader roster strategy and the impact Clowney is expected to have.

“He has been an outstanding player, and he’ll add some real depth. And he’s very credible, and he’ll help us. It’s the kind of thing that we will continue to do. It’s a lot of the reason we handle our roster the way that we have it. So, we can do these kinds of things,” Jones said.

Clowney’s résumé backs the hype. He logged 5.5 sacks with the Panthers in 2024—second only to Micah Parsons. Across 11 seasons, he’s piled up 58 sacks, 139 QB hits, and 409 tackles with the Texans, Seahawks, Titans, Browns, Ravens, and Panthers. Surrounded by Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, Dante Fowler Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku, and James Houston, Dallas believes its pass-rush rotation is built to hold up.