Jadeveon Clowney Visiting Browns Could Give Cleveland’s Pass Rush a Real Jolt

The Cleveland Browns have a new coaching staff, a quarterback battle brewing and a defense that just lost one of the best to ever do it. So maybe it makes sense that they’re kicking the tires on a familiar face.

Jadeveon Clowney is visiting the Browns on Wednesday according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The veteran edge rusher spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons in Cleveland and put up 11 sacks across those two years. Last season with Dallas he had 8.5 sacks, which is solid production for a guy who turned 32 in February.

This isn’t the same Clowney who went No. 1 overall in 2014. That player was a freak athlete who wrecked games from the edge. The current version is more of a fit-in piece, a rotational rusher who can still get after the quarterback but isn’t going to carry a defense alone. That might actually be fine for what Cleveland needs right now.

The Browns traded Myles Garrett to the Rams this offseason. That move stripped the defense of its centerpiece and sent a shock through the fanbase. But Cleveland did get Jared Verse back in the deal, a younger, ascending talent who could be a star for years. Pairing Verse with a savvy veteran like Clowney would give the front seven some actual teeth, especially on passing downs.

Clowney knows the building, knows the city and knows what Monken wants from his defensive front. That familiarity matters when you’re trying to build chemistry in a hurry. The Browns don’t have a ton of time. Their season opener is September 13 on the road against Jacksonville.

Quarterback situation still unsettled

While the defense tries to figure itself out, the offense has its own mess to sort through. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are both competing for the starting job in 2026 according to reports out of camp. Monken hasn’t tipped his hand yet on who gets the nod. That uncertainty hangs over everything the Browns do this summer, including how they allocate roster spots and cap space.

Adding Clowney wouldn’t fix the quarterback problem. But it would give the defense a proven commodity who can still rush the passer at an NFL level. For a team that just lost its best player and is trying to avoid another bottom-five finish, that’s not nothing.

The visit is just a visit for now. Nothing is signed. But the fact that Clowney is back in the building suggests both sides are at least open to making this work again.