By Gregg Bell | McClatchy News Service
RENTON — Finally — after six months, a pandemic, three teams vying for him and four conflicting reports in one final day — The Jadeveon Clowney Saga has ended.
He is signing with the Tennessee Titans.
The Seahawks lose out on the player they wanted most to sign for 2020.
“It came down to familiarity over economics,” the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher told NFL reporter Josina Anderson late Saturday night.
That familiarity wasn’t with the Seahawks, for whom Clowney played last season. It was with Titans coach Mike Vrabel.
He was Clowney’s defensive coordinator in 2017 with the Houston Texans. He was Clowney’s linebackers coach with the Texans for three seasons before that.
Clowney told Anderson the New Orleans Saints “made a last-ditch push through the overnight to improve its deal and lure him away.” He said he was on his way to Nashville, Tenn., instead.
“Packing now to head there in the morning,” Clowney told Anderson.
That suggests his final moves did not involve the Seahawks.
Reports say the deal could be worth $12 million for this season. The true figure remained unknown into Sunday.
The Seahawks traded two players and draft picks to Houston 12 months ago to acquire the 27-year-old former top overall choice in the NFL draft. He played through a core-muscle injury he got early in his most dominant game for Seattle, its win at previously undefeated San Francisco in mid-November. That was one of the more dominating performances by a Seahawks defensive lineman in years, and it renewed General Manager John Schneider’s and coach Pete Carroll’s belief they needed Clowney for 2020 and beyond.
Then he missed three of the final five regular-season games. He ailed through two playoff games. He had surgery to repair a sports hernia in January. That and his previous injuries — he’s had just one complete regular season in his six years in the league — made teams want to see first-hand with medical examinations his worthiness for free-agent riches.
The Seahawks, who finished next to last in the league in 2019 with 28 sacks in 16 games, made Clowney their top offseason priority to sign. Coach Pete Carroll said so.
Clowney has been dropping hints for months he’d really like to return to Seattle. Of course, money talks, but…
“I loved Seattle when I was there this past year,” Clowney said again, on TV in Houston Tuesday. “I love everybody on that coaching staff. I wouldn’t trade those guys in (for anything).”
Then Saturday, the Titans apparently stepped up with the cash he would accept.
