Fansided

Texans, Bill O’Brien expect Jadeveon Clowney back for Week One

By CM Towle

Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (90) prior to the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Houston Texans expect their No. 1 draft pick from last year, linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, to play in Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season.

The Texans expect their No. 1 overall pick from last year to play in Week One. Jadeveon Clowney had a pretty disappointing rookie season last year, playing in only four games and not recording a single sack. Texans coach Bill O’Brien says that Clowney has made good progress as he recovers from his microfracture knee surgery. O’Brien also said that Clowney has been working really hard to get back and he believes that he will be available for Game 1 against Kansas City.

If Clowney is able to come back quickly, even if it’s not in Game 1, and he begins playing up to his potential, the Texans could quickly have one of the most feared defenses in the NFL. Clowney would be joining some other pretty tough characters in J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Jared Crick and Brian Cushing. Not to mention the new arrivals in Vince Wilfork and rookie second-rounder Bernardrick McKinney.

O’Brien also says that the Texans are planning to be smart about Clowney’s playing time early on, obviously wanting to take his knee injury seriously. They don’t actually know when Clowney will be available to practice in training camp, which is kind of necessary if he’s to play in the opening game. But O’Brien believes that if Clowney is even able to practice just on a limited basis, he could be ready to play in Game 1. According to O’Brien, Clowney is already moving well and has been working extremely hard to be ready for training camp. The coach said they would be checking back at the end of July to see where he is.

Clowney did attend the Texans OTA practices, the final one of which was held on Friday. However, he did not participate in the activities.

The 2014 number one draft pick suffered the knee injury, a right lateral meniscus tear, in the Texans opening game last year. The team tried to get Clowney back into action, perhaps erroneously, but he experienced consistent pain and swelling and was never very effective. He ended up only playing in four games before finally being shut down for the season. In December, Clowney underwent microfracture knee surgery to fix the damage to his cartilage that he suffered in the initial opening game injury.

The Texans are hopeful he can bounce back and linebacker Brian Cushing feels he should be able to as well. Cushing had surgery on the same knee twice, once in 2012 and then again in 2013. He said he’s offered advice to Clowney on the rehab process.

Regardless of how soon Clowney comes back, the Texans are wise to be careful with his playing time early on. They don’t want a repeat of last year.

More from Houston Texans

Home/Houston Texans