Looks like trading away defensive cornerstone Micah Parsons wasn’t without a plan, after all. It wasn’t easy, but they found just the player to bolster their pass rush efforts, Jadeveon Clowney. He even visited the Cowboys on Wednesday. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer even painted a picture of Clowney as an attractive choice for Dallas, citing his “personal relationship” with him. Yet, somehow, there wasn’t a whisper of a new contract signing. Well, it turns out that wasn’t the whole picture. 

As the word of Clowney searching for a new home spread across the league, Schottenheimer was confident of landing the LB. He served as the OC of the Seahawks when Clowney joined. There, the two formed a good bond and remained in contact. “It was a great visit. We’ll kind of see how it plays out,” he said. But looks like the three-time Pro Bowler has no plans whatsoever of joining the Cowboys. 

In an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys beat reporter Clarence Hill Jr. revealed the real reason why Clowney paid a visit to the Cowboys. “It looked like Clowney was using the Cowboys to drum up a market, you know, ‘so let me talk to the Cowboys, let let that team know that other teams are interested in me,’” said Hill Jr. For close to a decade, Clowney has been earning ‘peanuts.’ He signed with the Panthers as a nine-year veteran, but settled for a two-year deal worth $20 million. He’s entering his 12th year in 2025, so adjusting to the franchise’s budget is the last thing he plans to do. 

“He’s not signing for the minimum, you know, and so he had a Cowboys man wanted to sign him, but what do they want to sign him for?” added Hill Jr. The Cowboys are the league’s richest franchise. Two of the richest contracts in NFL history (Dak Prescott with $240 million, and CeeDee Lamb with $136 million) have been signed by Jerry Jones’ Cowboys. And guess what? Prescott is the highest-paid QB and Lamb is the second-highest-paid WR in the league. They even offered Parsons $186 million ($150 million guaranteed) before he ultimately signed with Green Bay for $188 million. Having the interest of a team with such lucrative contracts certainly levels up your value. 

105.3 The Fan host Bryan Broaddus also confirmed that the Cowboys wanted to acquire Clowney, but the LB “said he’d like to wait.” The numbers haven’t been discussed yet, but Clowney is certainly expecting a salary above $24 million. Since his debut in 2014 with the Texans, the star hasn’t recorded a single season with a double-digit sack, bringing his total count to 58. Of course, he may not get the prowess that Parsons possesses, but the Cowboys thought he could be a good addition under DC Matt Eberflus. 

Cowboys still pursuing Jadeveon Clowney

Even if things didn’t favor the Cowboys right now, it doesn’t mean they should give up. Though Clowney is testing the market, there’s a good chance Stephen Jones and Schottenheimer will eventually win him over. During an appearance on 94. 1 San Antonio’s Sports Star radio show on Thursday, Stephen confirmed that the Cowboys are still courting Clowney. 

“We’re still looking at him and seeing how this thing’s gonna work out,” he said. “Certainly, he’s a guy who we’re looking at who could give us some help on the outside.” Perhaps this persistence by the Cowboys helps Clowney land the deserving numbers he desires. And this isn’t entirely a surprise, as this isn’t the first time the linebacker is weighing his options. 

Finding a player to fill Parsons’ shoes is not an easy task, but Stephen believes Clowney has the potential to make an impact. “To add a piece like Jadeveon could really be helpful to us, and we’ll see where that goes here over the next few days,” he added further. While Clowney might not be an every-down rusher in 2025, Stephen believes he can still be an effective contributor to Eberflus’ defense if utilized properly. The coming days would most likely reveal how this addition could shape the team’s defensive strategy.