Jadeveon Clowney not expected to attend Texans mandatory minicamp
By Allison Cary
The Houston Texans begin mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, but with contract negotiations ongoing, Jadeveon Clowney is not expected to attend.
When the Houston Texans begin their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, one of their most important players will not be in attendance. 26-year-old edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney is still in contract negotiations with the team after being designated with the franchise tag, and since an agreement still has not been reached, Clowney is not expected to attend the minicamp, according to Adam Schefter.
Texans mandatory minicamp starts Tuesday, but as their unsigned franchise player, Jadeveon Clowney is not expected to attend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 10, 2019
Clowney was drafted by the Texans in 2014. Despite some struggles with injuries, he is two-time Pro Bowler and a critical aspect of the Texans defense. In the 2018-2019 season, he had 47 tackles, nine sacks and a defensive touchdown.
The team has until July 15 to come to an agreement with Clowney. If they can’t sign a contract, Clowney will play under the franchise tag for the 2019-2020 season. The team already put the franchise tag on him in March, preventing Clowney from becoming a free agent. However, recent reports indicate the Texans may have tried to trade Clowney, making his future with the team unclear.
It also remains unclear how long Clowney will be absent from team activities. Some have suggested Clowney could go so far as to refuse to participate in training camp until a deal is reached. Recently, there has been a trend of players like Le’Veon Bell who sat out the entire 2018-2019 season after refusing to play on the Steelers’ franchise tender.
At this point, there have been no positive reports coming out of Houston. It does not appear the team and Clowney are close to reaching a deal, leaving a big question around one of the top defenders in football.