One of the Browns' biggest defensive playmakers and star players from a season ago is officially returning to Cleveland.
The Browns on Wednesday re-signed veteran DE Jadeveon Clowney to a contract that will keep him in Cleveland in 2022. Clowney, an eight-year veteran, built one of his best seasons of his career in 2021 with 11 tackles for a loss and nine sacks, his most since 2018, and formed one of the league's best pass-rush tandoms with Myles Garrett.
Now, he's returning to build an even better year and remain a core component of a talented Browns defense.
Clowney, the first overall pick from 2014 and a three-time Pro Bowler, has 41 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and 20 pass breakups in 97 career games and clearly thrived playing alongside Garrett, who broke the franchise sack record in 2021. Together, the duo combined for 25 sacks and achieved the highest combined sack total by Browns teammates, trailing only the 26 sacks by Reggie Camp (14) and Clay Matthews (12) in 1984.
With Clowney and Garrett back together, the Browns are set to once again feature one of the best edge-rush tandems in the league.
"We've become real good guys and close to each other because we play together," Clowney said in January. "I pick his brain, and he picks mine. We feed off each other out there. It's a good thing to have someone on the other end that you don't worry about. You're just like, 'Hey, I will meet you there [at the quarterback]."
The Browns re-signed DE Jadeveon Clowney. Click through to see some of his best moments as a Cleveland Brown.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during the second day of joint practices with the New York Giants on August 20, 2021.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns on September 26, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 26-6.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns on October 17, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 14 - 37.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a NFL football game between the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns on September 26, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 26-6.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns on September 19, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 31-21.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on October 31, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 10-15.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns on January 9, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 21-16.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a preseason NFL football game between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns on August 22, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 17-13.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 12, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 24-22.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during practice on November 10, 2021.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons on August 29, 2021 at Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Browns won 19-10.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 12, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 24-22.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings on October 3, 2021 at US Bank Stadium. The Browns won 14-7.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during practice on November 5, 2021.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night Football on October 21, 2021 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 17-14.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) before a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on September 12, 2021 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 29-33.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on September 12, 2021 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 29-33.
Travel to Atlanta on August 28, 2021.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) after a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars on August 14, 2021 at TIAA Bank Field. The Browns won 23-13.
Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (90) during the first day of training camp on July 28, 2021.
Clowney, a South Carolina product, benefitted from a relatively injury-free year in 2021 and played 14 games, his most since 2018. A healthy year helped him finish the season in tremendous fashion with 5.5 sacks in his last three games, which was a big reason why the entire Browns defense closed the season on a strong note — the group ranked fifth in the league in total defense.
With Clowney now locked in for another year, the Browns are set to return nine of their 11 top defensive starters from 2021. LB Anthony Walker Jr. was also re-signed earlier in the offseason, while LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and all top players from the secondary in Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, Greedy Williams, John Johnson III, Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison Jr. are locked in as well.
The second-year stability should benefit Clowney, who hasn't played back-to-back seasons with the same team since 2017-18, but his first year in Cleveland left plenty of promise for what could be ahead in a second season with the Browns.
