Jadeveon Clowney still seems to harbor some animosity toward one notable figure from his first stint with the Houston Texans.
Several reporters confirmed last week that Clowney was signing a 1-year deal with the team that drafted him 12 years ago. Clowney spoke to reporters Tuesday after his first practice with his old team and was asked about how he’s come to terms with his messy exit from the team in 2019.
Clowney, who has played for six different teams in the seven years since his departure, sounded like a man who’s already made peace with the situation. But he did cite one name in particular in his answer that Texans fans may remember.
“I don’t take nothing personal, man. … I ain’t have no hard feelings. It was just [former Texans head coach Bill] O’Brien at the time,” Clowney said before chuckling.
“Ahh, me and him bumped heads, and I couldn’t really understand, because I was an easygoing guy. I was like a ‘whatever you want from me’ kind of guy.”
Those that were here when #Texans Jadeveon Clowney was traded after the ‘18 season, know how that went down (not everyone w/ team wanted to pay him, he was immature or as he said ‘a big kid,), here’s what he said about his departure when I asked him today, – just wait for his… pic.twitter.com/T4w21qyi1k
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) August 4, 2026
The way Clowney said the name “O’Brien” made it seem as if a couple of bad memories had just popped into his head with the mere thought of the former coach.
O’Brien was entering his first year as head coach of the Texans when the team drafted Clowney with the first overall pick in the 2014 draft. While Houston made four playoff appearances under O’Brien from 2014 to 2020, his tenure was marred by internal conflict.
Clowney was far from the only former Texans standout to butt heads with O’Brien. The veteran coach infamously feuded with Texans star DeAndre Hopkins and had a heated exchange with franchise legend JJ Watt that reportedly led to a “player revolt.”
