FRISCO, Texas — Jadeveon Clowney has officially signed his shiny new contract with the Dallas Cowboys, a one-year deal that gives him the opportunity to potentially do some very real damage for an old friend of his, two actually, as he reunites with both defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis and head coach Brian Schottenheimer in North Texas.
To say he's excited would be an understatement, based upon the size of his grin in his first-ever interview as a member of the Cowboys' organization.
"Growing up, all I heard about were the Cowboys, all my life," he told Nicole Hutchison of DallasCowboys.com. "All my family, and the rivalries and stuff, so to be here playing for Cowboys — I'm looking forward to it, and it's exciting, man.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to get back to playing."
Currently spending his offseasons in Houston, and a free agent to this point in 2025, Clowney was careful in selecting his next team, especially coming off of two very productive seasons with the Carolina Panthers that proves he has plenty left in the tank — now seeking the ever-elusive Lombardi trophy at this point in his career.
Only one season removed from racking up 9.5 sacks in 2024 and, despite being asked to do more coverage in 2025 than he's likely ever had to do, Clowney was still able to produce 5.5 sacks en route to leading the team in several critical categories, from sacks to pressures and more.
A huge part of the pitch to land Clowney came from not only Schottenheimer, but also, of course, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, when a tidbit was dropped that made Clowney's eyes light up like an LED billboard on I-635 East in the middle of the night.
His days of being asked to cover are mostly over, at least in Dallas they are.
"I go forward," Clowney said. "Last year, I did a lot of dropping, and that's not my strong suit — covering. I mean, of course not. When you're big, you go forward. When I came here, [defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus] said, 'You probably won't drop [any].'
"I was like, "Oh, my God, I'm looking forward to that.' I get to go forward a lot more than I did last year, so I'm looking forward to just rushing the passer.".
That bodes well for his ability to harass opposing quarterbacks, Clowney going so far as to note he was forced to drop 10 pounds last season to be able to cover more effectively. He's set to change course in that department though, stating he's currently at 245 pounds but will add the 10 pounds back now that he's in Dallas.
Clowney also stated he's physically in football shape and ready to suit up for the Cowboys when they visit the Chicago Bears in Week 3 — great news for Dallas, though it'll ultimately be the decision of Schottenheimer as they acclimate the former first-overall pick to the playbook.
"Oh yeah," he said of his expectation to play in the Windy City on Sunday. "That's what I'm here for."
And as fate would have it, the decision to trade Micah Parsons in a package that included three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark, in conjunction with the presence Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas, piqued Clowney's interest to the point he picked up the phone and gave his agent some very specific instructions following the trade.
"As soon as Kenny Clark signed here," Clowney began explaining. "I told my agent, 'I think that will be a good move for me. They've got a good secondary, and they've got good [defensive] tackles. They just need [me]. Yeah, I need to be there, so see if you can make the call and make something happen to get me in Dallas.'
"And I'm here."
It's a timeline that began years ago in Seattle and rekindled ahead of Clowney's visit ahead of the eventual Week 2 victory over the New York Giants, in a deal that was literally struck during that game on Sunday afternoon, a testament to the level of interest the Cowboys had in acquiring his services.
A few days after making his first trip to a facility he said floored him aesthetically, and following additional conversations with Schottenheimer, at least once over a call during dinner, the two sides are partnering to try and do something special in 2025.
"[He's] an energy guy," Clowney said of Schottenheimer. "When he got here, he gave me a call about coming out and I was like, 'Oh, yeah, you know I'd love to play for your energy. You know how to take care of the team and I believed in that.' And that was half of the reason I wanted to come too, because I played with him before.
"I knew what he was doing would be a good system for me to come to be a part of. I was looking forward to it."
And, speaking of the aforementioned dinner, it was then that Clowney's son made a statement to Schottenheimer about interrupting the family's meal.
"I don't know you," said the youngster.
Schottenheimer's response?
"Well, you might soon," he said, smirking.
Talk about calling your shot.
