The Dallas Cowboys have their eyes on the prize headed into the 2026 NFL season. Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer really put their heads together these past few months to ensure that America's Team had a chance of dethroning the Philadelphia Eagles to regain control of the NFC East this year.
And the best part is that Dallas did it without having to fork out a ton of cash this offseason and, in part, by letting some players walk who firmly fall into the "addition by subtraction" category. One effective Cowboy is still available for teams to sign, though: Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney is no spring chicken, but he was Dallas' best sack artist in 2025, albeit on a team that lacked competent pass-rushers. With his services still dangling on the open market, he is being linked to various teams around the league. The division rival Washington Commanders are one of them.
That's not all bad for Dallas, though.
Washington Commanders urged to sign former Dallas Cowboys stud Jadeveon Clowney
First, let's read Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen explain exactly why he believes that Clowney would want to cross the division and play for the Commanders, and why our old friend Dan Quinn would want a 33-year-old edge rusher in the first place.
"The Commanders need a buff on the edge of their defensive line after opting not to re-sign Miller. Clowney could be a low-risk option for Washington in an area of need. He led the Cowboys in sacks last season with 8.5, while adding 10 QB hits and 12 tackles for loss, despite only playing in 13 games. Clowney is 33 and has bounced around the league over the past half a decade, though he has generally been productive regardless of what team he’s playing for. "
Rasmussen is right that Washington lost Von Miller this offseason and that Clowney is generally a productive player, even if an aging veteran who could fall off the metaphorical cliff at any point. But he's missing why the Commanders may not be so eager to sign him.
This offseason, Washington invested in not one, not two, but three free agent edge rushers, and they selected another in the fifth round of April's draft. Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Charles Omenihu and Joshua Josephs are all now members of the Commanders alongside Dorance Armstrong.
Simply put, the Cowboys' NFC East rival sinking even more resources into the edge rusher position would not be wise, and even if Clowney can help them, it would still represent a poor team-building strategy for Adam Peters and the Washington front office. Dallas obviously wants that.
The Commanders have glaring holes all throughout their offensive skill position rooms, so if they are going to make a late investment before training camp, it should be to fill one of those voids. Clowney, for as good as he can be, certainly isn't that.
Now, the flip side of the coin for Dallas is that, with their left tackle position currently a question mark, Washington having bodies on bodies to throw at either Tyler Guyton or Nate Thomas is a bit worrisome. And Cowboys fans know how destructive Clowney can still be.
Plus, a world exists where Dallas' offseason investments at defensive end don't look like they'll have a high ROI, at least immediately, and the Cowboys go sign a veteran. Surely, if for no other reason than comfort, Jones felt that he could keep Clowney in his back pocket.
If he signs with the Commanders, though, that all goes out the window. So, while Clowney signing with Washington would theoretically be a mixed bag and not all bad, hopefully, the Cowboys simply don't need his services, and he lands outside the division.
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