Jadeveon Clowney is on the verge of setting the market for defensive linemen who can get to the quarterback, and it sounds like his peers are going to like the end result.
Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, is under contract for $12.3 million this upcoming season after the Houston Texans picked up the option on his rookie deal. Albert Breer of The MMQB reported on Thursday that the sides are working on a new contract and “are making a lot of progress on a mega-extension.”
As Breer notes, Clowney’s contract extension will be important for fellow pass-rushers Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald, who came from the same draft class as Clowney and have been more productive through their first four NFL seasons. Mack has not missed a game and has recorded 10 or more sacks in each of the past three seasons, with a high mark of 15 in 2015. Donald, who is an interior defensive lineman, has averaged almost 10 sacks through his first four years.
Clowney appeared in all 16 games for the Texans for the first time last year, and his health as been a huge question mark since he entered the league. Donald and Mack could easily argue that they deserve to be paid more given their track records and overall better health, so you can see why their agents will be watching the Clowney negotiations closely.
