The Houston Texans welcomed back pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney this offseason, so let's take a look at how he could impact this defense in 2026.
The Houston Texans no doubt have one of the best defenses in the entire NFL, if not the best, which starts up front with the dominant pass rush duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
While Anderson and Hunter are dominant already, this offseason, the Texans were able to add veteran pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who now makes his return to Houston after playing for a variety of teams following his departure from the Texans after the 2018 season.
Even though Clowney will be 33 years old entering 2026, he has been fairly consistent over the past few seasons and could add another element to this dominant Texans defensive line. So, let's take a look at how Clowney could impact this Houston defense in 2026.
To start it is important to look at Clowney's production from the 2025 season just to see the type of player he is at this point of his career. Last season, Clowney played for the Dallas Cowboys in 13 games and recorded 41 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
Clearly, Clowney still has the ability to be a disruptive player in this league and on the Texans defense that is exactly what he could provide.
With Anderson and Hunter being the starting pair of edge rusher they will be able to wreak havoc all game long and do have the stamina to play a significant portion of the game, but with Clowney now in the picture they may not have to do that.
As an edge rusher, Clowney still has the ability to defend the run well and get after the quarterback, so head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke should be able to deploy Clowney in a variety of situations to complement Anderson and Hunter on the edge.
Specifically in pass rush situations, the Texans could get very creative based on the fact that Anderson (6-4, 243 pounds), Hunter (6-5, 263 pounds), and Clowney (6-5, 266 pounds) all have the size to move inside to take advantage of opposing guards to be disruptive on the interior as well.
With the flexibility that Anderson, Hunter, and Clowney have it will be very difficult for opposing offensive lines to block them because they can all line up all over the field and have the ability win almost every matchup.
Additionally, the pressure the Texans should be able to generate will also be backed up by the incredible secondary Houston has with a cornerback duo of Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter as well as a solid collection of safeties with Jalen Pitre, Reed Blankenship, Calen Bullock, and Kamari Ramsey.
So, heading into the 2026 season, Clowney could complement Anderson and Hunter on the defensive line and should have plenty of time to generate pressure with the great secondary that Houston has, which could very well help the Texans to have an even more impressive defense than they had last season.
