It’s not the same as having Micah Parsons, but the Cowboys have added some pass-rushing help.
Dallas signed three-time Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, owner Jerry Jones told reporters after their thrilling 40-37 win over the Giants on Sunday.
Clowney, who started 14 games for the Panthers last season after visiting the Jets and then opting to sign in Carolina, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and hadn’t signed with a team after being released by the Panthers in May.
“He has been an outstanding player, and he’ll add some real depth,” Jones told reporters, according to ESPN. “And he’s very credible and he’ll help us. It’s the kind of thing that we will continue to do. It’s a lot of the reason we handle our roster the way that we have, so we can do these kinds of things.”
The move will help Dallas fill the void of Parsons, who was stunningly traded to the Packers ahead of the regular season in exchange for Kenny Clark and two first-round picks.
In the aftermath of the deal, Jones said the trade was in the “best interest” of the Cowboys and mentioned how they needed to improve at stopping the run — saying “we haven’t been able to stop the run at key times for several years,” and adding it’s something that Clark would help with.
Parsons has already collected 1 ½ sacks and four quarterback hits through Green Bay’s first two games, while the Cowboys managed just one sack in their Week 1 loss against the Eagles before dropping Russell Wilson three times Sunday.
Wilson, though, threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, and Dallas needed to rely on Brandon Aubrey’s 64-yard field goal at the end of regulation and 46-yard field goal in overtime to escape with a win.
Clowney recorded 58 sacks across the first 11 seasons of his career, which featured five seasons with Texans, one with the Seahawks, one with the Titans, two with the Browns, one with the Ravens and then his 2024 campaign with the Panthers.
He produced 5 ½ sacks with Carolina and had 9 ½ the previous season with Baltimore.
If Clowney plays in Week 3, his first task will be rushing Bears quarterback Caleb Williams before the Cowboys then face the Packers — and Parsons — in Dallas the following week.