It might be harsh to say that the Dallas Cowboys' defense turned in a dud in Thursday's win over the Washington Commanders, but they certainly didn't play well.
They allowed Commanders' rookie running back Bill Croskey-Merritt to rush for 105 yards and two touchdowns on 9.5 yards per carry. Down to its third-string quarterback, Washington's offense averaged 8.0 yards per play. Thankfully, they went just 1-of-6 on third downs, and the Dallas offense dominated the time of possession battle. Maybe "dud" isn't so harsh after all.
If there's one defensive player who can hang their head high after the win, it's defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. The 32-year-old affirmed postgame that he wants to continue playing in 2026 and dropped a not-so-subtle hint about remaining in Dallas (h/t to Cowboys team reporter Patrik Walker).
"Everybody can't do it — it's a blessing for me to still be playing 12 years later," said Clowney. "I thank God every day for that. … Next year, I just gotta get ready a little earlier, and stay ready. … Oh yeah, [I'd re-sign in Dallas] if they're willing to bring me back, but, yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm definitely gonna play."
Jadeveon Clowney would like to re-sign with the Cowboys in 2026
What's made Clowney such a tremendous addition is that he was signed in the middle of September, immediately after the Cowboys' defense allowed 40 points in a tie with the Packers. While he arrived in outstanding shape, he didn't have a training camp to shake off the offseason rust.
Clowney wants to do things a little differently next year.
"I got a lot left in the tank. I ain't gonna go sit on my couch," Clowney continued. "I'm gonna stay ready. Maybe sign a little bit earlier, and I'm trying to go to camp next year so I can get the rust off me and get going. I'm looking forward to it."
It took Clowney a couple of weeks to get his sea legs underneath him, but he hasn't looked back. He's been an unmistakable bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Cowboys' defense.
On Christmas Day, the three-time Pro Bowler tallied season-highs in pressures (six), pressure rate (37.5 percent), and run stuffs (2), per Next Gen Stats. He entered the game with a 77.5 pass-rush grade on the season, which is 19th out of 112 EDGE defenders, per Pro Football Focus. He's been rock-solid against the run, too, posting a 67.1 run-defense grade and 19 defensive stops to boot.
The Cowboys' EDGE room is so thin that they will need to bring in two or three more, even if they retain Clowney. But signing him to a new deal once the season is over should be a no-brainer for Jerry Jones now that he's on the record saying he'd like to stay in Dallas.