The Texans made the predictable decision to exercise Jadeveon Clowney‘s fifth-year option earlier today, but the team appears to have bigger near-future plans for its former No. 1 overall selection.
Expectations are the Texans will plan a Clowney extension after the 2017 season, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Wilson provides the caveat that Clowney will have to show last season wasn’t a fluke. If Clowney is not extended before the 2018 season, he would make $13.8MM, the Chronicle’s John McClain notes.
Of course, Wilson tweets that the near-$14MM amount isn’t certain yet. The Texans moved Clowney to defensive end, and he will have to play more snaps there than at linebacker (approximately $12MM) to earn the end figure. However, if Clowney can stay healthy opposite J.J. Watt and finally provide the Texans with a glimpse at the tandem they thought they were securing in 2014, that figure could be a moot point.
The 24-year-old Clowney would be in line to exceed both Watt and Muhammad Wilkerson‘s 3-4 defensive end salaries with another big year, considering the cap’s continued climb. Wilkerson leads the lot at $17.2MM AAV. Although, the Texans could be forced to then revisit Watt’s wages in that event. The three-time defensive player of the year is signed through what would be his age-32 season 2021 on a six-year, $100MM extension that now looks incredibly team-friendly given Watt’s historic production.