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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens reached a deal with former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney on Friday, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, providing much needed experienced depth at outside linebacker.
A three-time Pro Bowl player, Clowney has 43 career sacks, which are more than what the current Ravens outside linebackers have totaled (28.5).
The Ravens are expected to rely on young edge rushers Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo this season, but they lack proven backups behind them. WIth Tyus Bowser (Non-Football Injury list) taking longer to recover from a knee injury, Baltimore didn’t have an outside linebacker in practice who was older than 25.
Justin Houston, who led Baltimore with 9.5 sacks last season, signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers earlier this month. The Ravens didn’t show much interest in retaining Houston, a source said.
Clowney, who turned 30 in February, played for the Cleveland Browns the past two seasons, signing back-to-back one-year contracts.
He had nine sacks in his first year in Cleveland in 2021 starting opposite All-Pro Myles Garrett. But Clowney had a disappointing season in 2022, finishing with only two sacks.
Late in the season, he told Cleveland.com that he likely wouldn’t be returning to the Browns because the organization favored Garrett, who finished tied for second in the NFL with 16 sacks, over him.
“You’re all trying to get [Garrett] into the Hall of Fame instead of winning games,” Clowney told the newspaper. “I don’t even think [Garrett] notices. I ain’t trying to say it’s him. I try to get along with everybody I play with. Me and him don’t have a problem. It ain’t his fault, and it’s B.S., and I don’t have time for it.”
After the comments were published, Clowney was sent home before the final regular-season practice of the season and was ruled out of Cleveland’s final game at the Pittsburgh Steelers, which the Browns would lose 28-14. Clowney later apologized to Garrett in a statement.
Before the Pittsburgh game, Browns defensive ends coach Chris Kiffin also confirmed that Clowney had refused to play on first or second down in Week 7 against the Ravens because he was upset with how the Browns had planned to use him in the game. The Browns lost that game, as well. Clowney did not play on the opening series the next weekend on “Monday Night Football” against the Cincinnati Bengals, although he entered the game during Cincinnati’s second possession.