Given all of the moves the Dallas Cowboys have made to their defensive line this offseason, perhaps their biggest move isn't anyone Jerry Jones brought in: it's someone they lost. Well, technically, the Cowboys haven't lost him yet, but it feels inevitable that Jadeveon Clowney will not return in 2026.
Dallas traded for Rashan Gary and drafted Malachi Lawrence and Jaishawn Barham, the latter of whom is expected to play inside linebacker, but he has EDGE experience, with two of their first three picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, so the former No. 1 pick isn't as needed as he was last season. The only thing we don't know is where he'll be playing in 2026.
so the former No. 1 pick doesn't have a path to playing time with the Cowboys anymore. The only thing we don't know is where he'll be spending his next season.
While labeling the perfect fits for available free agents, ESPN's Matt Bowen had an interesting idea for a new destination. He thinks that the 33-year-old should join forces with Aidan Hutchinson with the Detroit Lions, who are in dire need of some additional pass-rushing juice off the edge.
"Detroit drafted edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson on pass-rushing downs, but Clowney would provide more depth up front," Bowen wrote. "He had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season in 13 games for the Cowboys, winning late in the down to get to the quarterback. Clowney would provide rotational value for coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's unit."
New prediction suggests Jadeveon Clowney could leave the Dallas Cowboys for the Lions
Not only could Detroit stand in the way of Dallas making the playoffs, but they've also become a rival of the Cowboys in recent years. In a perfect world, Clowney signs in the AFC or with an NFC team that isn't expected to contend -- not the Lions.
Detroit lost Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency and replaced him with DJ Wonnum. That doesn't really move the needle. And like Bowen noted, they drafted Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round of the draft to complement Hutchinson with another former Wolverines defender.
Clowney had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures in 13 games for the Cowboys last year. He clearly still has some good football left in the tank. He has recorded 24 sacks across the last three seasons, averaging out at eight a year, so even if he isn't back in The Star, he'll make an impact somewhere.
The South Carolina product could serve as a mentor to his younger counterparts in Detroit, while giving them another trusted option who can get to the quarterback on third down. And it's not like he'd be wasting the season on a losing team, because the Lions usually have legit playoff aspirations.
The 2013 first-round pick is the type of player who makes a defensive line better just with his presence, but the Cowboys don't need that impact. Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, they're looking to get younger on defense, while a contender like the Lions makes sense for Clowney's next chapter.
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