Jadeveon Clowney Deflects Idea of Facing Former Team: 'There Is Much More At Stake'

As a former first-overall pick by the Houston Texans, Jadeveon Clowney could certainly have more motivation to pull off a win on Saturday. That isn't the case though for the 10-year vet.

Jadeveon Clowney wasn't the only veteran who chose to come to the Baltimore Ravens during the offseason. As a 10-year veteran, the former first-overall pick is looking to add a Super Bowl ring to his impressive career. 

To do that, though, Clowney's current team will have to face his former. 

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Clowney was the first overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2014 and played five seasons with the unit. He racked up 29 sacks including three straight Pro Bowl selections. 

Now with Baltimore, and preparing to face his former team in the divisional round of the playoffs, Clowney is making sure that the focus is not on him for kickoff on Saturday. 

"I just want to win, because it’s the playoffs; it’s bigger than just worrying about the Texans," Clowney stated. "There is much more at stake. It’s either win or go home. And we want to get away with this win, so [that] we can keep fighting for the goal we’ve been fighting for all year. What you do all of this for is to try to get to that Super Bowl and win it.”

When Clowney was drafted in 2014, the Texans were coming off an abysmal 2-14 record. They improved their win total by seven games the following season - the same amount the current Houston team has improved by in 2023-24. 

Led by future Offensive Rookie of the Year in CJ Stroud and a fiery coach in Demeco Ryans, the Texans are back in the divisional round of the playoffs after a 45-14 blowout win over the Cleveland Browns last week in the wild card. 

It may have been a long time since Houston has had a unit this easy to root for, but it's something that Clowney is familiar with - and certainly, something he doesn't take for granted as an aging veteran in the NFL. 

"You never know how many more you’ve got left. I’ve been in the game 10 years and haven’t been this far; [I] haven't won or gotten a bye – that first-round bye – ever," Clowney explained. "So, this is big for me and – in my career – where I’m at. I just hope [that] I can continue to help this team and help us get our long-term goal, [which] is to win a Super Bowl. And like I said, we’ve got to knock the Texans off just to do that.”

He's not the only veteran on the Ravens chasing for a Super Bowl ring. 

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That, along with having the MVP front-runner in 2023, is a reason why this Baltimore group is as close as any in recent history. 

"It’s the guys that come to work," Clowney concluded. "Guys come to work looking forward to work. It’s not like you’re stressed about going to work. It’s a group of guys that have fun with each other – and the coaches – that have a good time and don’t mind coming in and putting their head down for a few hours."