Micah Parsons ended up being the kind of headache the Cowboys could probably have avoided in the first place. First, there was all the drama over his contract extension. Now, it’s the headache of figuring out his replacement after he packed up for Green Bay. The reasoning is simple: Dallas needs a difference maker on the edge. The good news, however, is that Jerry Jones at least tried to patch the hole.

They brought veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney in for a visit on Wednesday. But, well… he left without a contract in his hand. Which naturally makes you wonder: Could Clowney still actually end up suiting up in Dallas? As it turns out, the Cowboys have a knack for long negotiations, and with the veteran DE, the saga is very much still unfolding.

“We’re still looking at him and seeing how this thing is going to work out,” the Cowboys’ EVP, Stephen Jones, told San Antonio’s Sports Star. “Certainly, he’s a guy that we’re looking at who could give us some help on the outside.” Stephen seems confident Clowney could fill the Parsons-sized hole on the edge, no doubt about that. But before Dallas makes any moves, they first need to figure out exactly what they’re missing.

Right now, the Cowboys still have depth at the edge. Dante Fowler Jr., James Houston, Sam Williams, Marshawn Kneeland, and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku are expected to get the bulk of the defensive snaps. The real issue, though? Dallas lacks a true difference-maker, and Parsons’ absence has already started showing. Just look at the season opener, for instance.

Jalen Hurts made life tough for the Cowboys right out of the gate. The reigning Super Bowl MVP went 19-of-23 for 152 yards through the air, but his real damage came on the ground. Hurts rushed for 62 yards on 14 carries, with a couple of touchdowns. Performance like that, that too in Week 1, made it obvious why Dallas is still hunting for Parsons’ replacement.

The question now: Could Clowney be the defensive end they’re looking for? For starters, he hasn’t even signed a contract yet. He’s a former first-overall pick. So, there’s no doubt about efficiency. He’s an excellent run defender and generates pressure at a high rate. Sure, he had a modest performance last year with the Panthers (5.5 sacks). But he still cemented his name among the top 20 pass rushers in 2024 with a 14.9 pass-rush rate.

The only complication, however, is that the former 2014 first-overall pick isn’t the same explosive player he once was in his earlier days. And if history has taught us anything about the 32-year-old, it’s that he has experienced contract-related disputes during his NFL career, especially when he was with Houston. And right now, the contract dispute is probably the last thing Dallas wants.

Following Perrion Winfrey’s injury, there’s surely a spot on the roster, no denying that. And of course, Clowney’d add depth to the Cowboys’ pass rush. But as things stand, two things are still in limbo. One: Can Jadeveon Clowney become the difference-maker Jerry Jones and his crew are hunting? Two: Will he sign with the Cowboys?

Jadeveon Clowney said thank you, but no, thank you

The thought processing behind a team hosting a player for a possible signing, and that same player leaving without a contract in his hand, is something we might actually not know. We’re talking about the curious case of Jadeveon Clowney, a possible Micah Parsons replacement. However, someone like Stephen Jones can be the right person to explain this.

“The biggest thing on someone like Jadeveon is just to get to know him and kind of see what his plan is and what his thoughts are, and obviously he’s a guy who hadn’t been in a camp and, but there’s veterans, you know, that’s kind of their plan,” Stephan said when asked about Clowney leaving without a contract. However, as far as we knew, the veteran DE, it’s safe to say that Clowney reportedly rejected the Cowboys’ offer.

The Cowboys insider Bryan Broaddus recently shared some details on why the signing hasn’t been done yet. He believes that the Cowboys were ready to put pen to paper, but the 32-year-old still wants to explore options. ” Cowboys wanted to sign Clowney. They absolutely did. Clowney’s the one [who] made this decision. He said he would like to wait,” the insider said.

“Yeah, the intent was to sign him up. Clowney is the one who decided that he would like to wait before that happens.” Following a brief stint in Carolina, where he tallied 46 combined tackles and 5.5 sacks, Clowney is still a free agent. The Cowboys are currently the front-runners to sign him. But as things stand, Micah Parsons’ possible replacement does not consider the Cowboys as his first option. Will he sign with Dallas? That remains to be seen, with the Week 2 showdown almost here.