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Jadeveon Clowney Dealing With Soreness, Ready To Play For Houston Texans

By Patrick Schmidt

Sep 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) during the game against the Washington Redskins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) during the game against the Washington Redskins at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jadeveon Clowney says he expects to make his return to the Houston Texans lineup on Sunday after being out of the lineup since injuring his meniscus in Week 1

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft will be surprised if he is not playing for the Houston Texans in their Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday after being injured in the team’s Week 1 win.

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Clowney was questionable for last week’s game before a game-time decision rendered him in active for Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus after he was injured in his first regular season game.

Don’t expect Clowney to be on the inactive list for this week’s game if he has anything to say about his playing status, however, as he should make his highly-anticipated return to the lineup.

Clowney admits he’s dealing with some soreness in the knee but is nothing that he can’t push through.

Had Clowney played last week the plan was to limit his snaps to around 20 and have him on the field on third down and pass-rushing situations as his game speed and conditioning was not where the team had liked.

With an extra week of practice and conditioning that play count should be higher, although it remains to be seen just how many snaps head coach Bill O’Brien would limit the talented pass-rusher in his return to the lineup, but he will have to compete with former first rounder Whitney Mercilus who has played well with Clowney out.

“When J.D. comes back, he’ll have to work back into the mix,” O’Brien said Tuesday, according to the Houston Chronicle. “That’s not just something that’s going to be handed to him, that’s for sure. Whitney’s played well enough to deserve playing time, that’s for sure, and that’ll be a competition.”

“You don’t just hand it to a guy coming off of six weeks being out, especially when the other guy has played pretty well,” O’Brien added.

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