The first round of the 2014 NFL Draft was full of major talent, so it's no surprise those rookies are making a big impact all over the league this season. However, that hasn't been the case for the No. 1 overall pick, Jadeveon Clowney.
Jadeveon Clowney still isn’t fully recovered from knee surgery
Houston Texans rookie Jadeveon Clowney returned from knee surgery nearly a month ago, but says it’s still holding him back.
Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Instead, the Houston Texans defensive end has just seven tackles in four games played and hasn't yet done the thing he was drafted to do: sack opposing quarterbacks. Much of it has to do with knee surgery that sidelined Clowney for nearly two months early in the season and is still bothering him.
Clowney admitted after the Week 12 game against the Cincinnati Bengals that his right knee hasn’t fully recovered and it is still holding him back, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.
“You never know if you’re going to have an injury or not coming into the league. So when that happened to me, it was a setback,” Clowney said. “I’m just trying to do everything I need to do to get back to where I need to be to help the team out.”
Still, Clowney said that his job is to “set the edge” and he’s done exactly that when asked. On a goal-line stand against the Bengals, Clowney showed flashes of the talent that made the Texans select him first overall.
In addition to the struggles with his knee, Clowney seemed to have some troubles lining up Sunday too. He was called for a neutral-zone infraction that set up a Bengals field goal and he certainly appeared to be lined up in the neutral zone again on a play that finished with a pick-six for the Texans’ defense and didn’t draw a penalty.
Texans head coach Bill O’Brien had to stamp out rumors earlier in the year that the team was getting frustrated with the lack of production from Clowney. The team ranks 31st in the NFL in pass defense and 24th in sacks.
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