After the Dallas Cowboys got a walk-off win in overtime against the New York Giants, Jerry Jones announced the team had signed veteran and former #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. There are not many other things that can provide better regular-season catharsis than a nice win and a big free agent signing back-to-back.
Clowney is unofficially the Cowboys' response move to trading away pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, as they've struggled defensively in the first two games, especially up front.
But Clowney isn't just focused on helping fill the void left behind by Micah Parsons - he wants to play under the lights and on national TV. The Athletic's Jon Machota transcribed Clowney's full answer.
Jadeveon Clowney wanted to play with Cowboys to play in primetime games
"I got seven primetime games to prove and show the world. That was my whole thought on coming down here. I get to play primetime and put myself out there again. Sky is the limit again for me. I don’t feel like I’m getting old. Terence Crawford just beat somebody at (37) years old. I got a lot left in the tank."
After playing under the lights in the very first game of the regular season, the Cowboys still have five additional primetime matchups this season. On top of that, they play in the national spotlight on Thanksgiving as well as in the noon slot on Christmas Day, a Netflix production.
That makes it seven more times that Clowney is going to be able to play in the spotlight with the Dallas Cowboys, who are always in the NFL's spotlight it seems. It may seem like a silly thing for Clowney to say, but think about the fact that a former No. 1 overall pick of his caliber is still sitting in NFL free agency here in the middle of September.
Clowney has been a productive player over the course of his career, even if he hasn't lived up to the #1 overall pick draft status. He's played the last six years with the Panthers, Ravens, Browns, Titans, and Seahawks. With all due respect to those teams, it's not like the NFL is trying all that hard to get those teams maximum exposure every single year.
The Ravens might be a slight exception, but Baltimore's national exposure pales in comparison to what the league typically does to get the Cowboys in front of the biggest audience possible. And while teams can still scout players without a national spotlight, this is going to give Clowney the best possible chance to maximize his value.
The opportunity is there with the Dallas defense for Clowney to really have a resurgence this late in his career. He's still only 32 years old and like he said, he believes the sky is the limit for him now that he's in Dallas.
Of course, the job has only just begun. Clowney has to actually go out there on the field and make it matter that he signed on with a team that has a bunch of national exposure as the season goes along here. Dallas needs his veteran presence off the edge and if he can string something together, he might be able to parlay it into a big-money deal after the season.