NEWSLETTER
Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn’t the Chicago Bears.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter came through with the financial details. Schefty reports it is a two-year deal for Clowney and is worth up to $24 million. But leave it to the Panthers to find the most creative way to announce the signing:
I don’t care that the moment above happened YEARS ago. That Jadeveon Clowney hit is the kind of viral moment that I’m going to re-share any tine I see it cross my timeline. You don’t see that type of hit every day. So when I see it, I’m going to share it. And I’m glad that the Panthers did it because seeing this 9-second clip just scratched a football itch that I’ve been unable to reach lately. Thanks, Panthers.
Clowney, 31, was the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and is a three-time Pro Bowler. Signing with the Panthers makes this a homecoming of sorts for the Rock Hill native and University of South Carolina product. Clowney is coming off a season with the Baltimore Ravens in which he collected 9.5 sacks, 9 tackles-for-loss, and 19 quarterback hits in 17 games. He’ll look to replicate those numbers with the Panthers. Have fun dealing with that, NFC South QBs!
What significance does the Jadeveon Clowney signing have for the Bears?
If you’re wondering why I’m writing about Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Panthers, don’t feel bad. You’re probably not alone in wondering what the Bears angle is here. With that being said, the Clowney signing has some Bears ramifications.
Firstly, Clowney signing with Carolina takes another notable name off the free-agent market. Clowney’s name hadn’t been connected with Chicago in this free agency cycle, but had been in the past. Even still … I didn’t think there was a fit there for him and the Bears. After all, the Bears had a chance to swoop in and sign him last year and instead landed on inking Yannick Ngakoue. Secondly, I’m not sure the Bears are going to spend a hefty amount of their cap space on whatever is left in the free agency bing. At this point, the Bears might be better off rolling a chunk of that cap space over into 2025.
Thirdly, the Jadeveon Clowney signing matters to the Bears because it helps the Panthers. Why should Bears fans care about that? Well, for starters, the Carolina Panthers are on Chicago’s list of scheduled opponents in 2024. It’ll be a home game for the Bears. And unless something unexpected happens, it’ll be a game that features the two most-recent No. 1 overall picks. So it would behoove the Bears to know where Clowney is at all times.
And, finally, I must note that any incremental improvement the Panthers make is something that could impact the status of their second-round pick. In other words, yes, Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers moves the needle enough for me to bring up how the Bears own Carolina’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. What … you’re not obsessively following the Panthers for the sake of keeping tabs on future Bears draft picks for a second straight year? No biggie. I can do it for the both of us.
In an ideal world, that pick would be 33rd overall and first in the second round. A signing like Clowney is the kind of thing that could help slide it back a few spots. To be clear, I don’t think the Clowney signing is going to make or break the Panthers’ season. But I don’t think they want to gift-wrap the Bears a premium second-round pick. And it shows based on how they’ve spent money this offseason.
