Jadeveon Clowney expressed his displeasure with the Browns on Thursday and even stated he might not be back with the team for the 2023 season. With him making it clear he expects Sunday’s season-finale to be his last game with Cleveland, the team decided to go ahead and send him home.
“Ninety-five percent sure I won’t be back,” Clowney told cleveland.com on Thursday. “But there’s still that 5 percent. You never know what can happen.”
The 29-year-old didn’t practice Friday and it’s unclear if he’ll even play Sunday, let alone have a chance to return for a third season with the team.
“I just feel like I need to be around somebody that believes in me and my ability,” Clowney told Cleveland.com. “[It can’t] just be me believing in myself. I believe in myself more than anybody.”
In response to his client being punished, agent Kennard McGuire released a statement on Clowney’s behalf, which was shared by Cabot and CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson.
“It’s been an emotional and frustrating season given initial expectations. Those sentiments were expressed in a locker room,” the statement reads. “In today’s NFL, an open locker room means media is present. J.D. always shows up, plays hard and gives his best. It would be unfortunate for him not to be able to finish the season on the field, doing what he loves, with his teammates.”
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The 29-year-old pass rusher will be a free agent this offseason, and will likely be looking for a new team. Clowney, the first-overall pick in 2014, has played for three teams the last four years.
He played in 14 games in 2021, recording 37 tackles, nine sacks, and 11 tackles for loss. He would then sign a one-year deal in the offseason to return, but his numbers dipped. He only has two sacks, four tackles for loss and 28 combined tackles across 12 games.
The 7-9 Browns enter Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh at the bottom of the AFC North.
