Clowney had signed a two-year deal with Carolina last offseason, bringing him to his hometown team as he was born and raised in South Carolina. The 32-year-old was expected to provide veteran leadership to the young Panthers and be a major contributor to a team that ranked last in the NFL with 27 sacks in the 2023 season.
Clowney’s time with the Panthers seemed to be coming to an end based on the moves that Carolina made during the draft. The team picked two edge rushers on Day 2—Nic Scourton in the second round and Princely Umanmielen in the third round. Like Clowney, the two rookies were both first-team All-SEC selections in college. Scourton starred at Texas A&M after beginning his career at Purdue, while Umanmielen played last season at Ole Miss after beginning his career with Florida.
Additionally, one of the Panthers’ most notable free agent additions was also a pass rusher in Patrick Jones II, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings. He recorded 7.0 sacks last year, topping Clowney’s total despite playing nearly 200 fewer snaps. With another former Viking, D.J. Wonnum, who had 4.0 sacks in his first year with Carolina in 2024, also on the roster, there simply wasn’t room for Clowney at his salary.
Clowney has played for six teams during his 11-year NFL career, which began with being the top pick by the Houston Texans in 2014. He was chosen over fellow pass rushers Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack, as well as All-Pro players such as Davante Adams and Mike Evans. He dealt with injuries during the start of his pro career, but managed to make the only three Pro Bowls of his career in Houston from 2016–18.
He then became a journeyman, playing for five teams over the next six seasons. He spent one year in Seattle, one in Tennessee, two with the Cleveland Browns, then one in Baltimore before coming home to Carolina.
One of the most distinguished players in the history of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Clowney was a two-time first-team All-American. In 2012, he was named both the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive end.
He finished the 2024 season with 58 career sacks across 140 games. Clowney also has 15 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, and three fumbles recovered for touchdowns. Those three scores after fumble recoveries are the most among all active players and are tied for the ninth-most in NFL history.
The 32-year-old now joins a lengthy list of free-agent pass rushers. This offseason has also seen Von Miller cut by the Buffalo Bills, Matt Judon released by the Atlanta Falcons, and Preston Smith cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers after they acquired him in a November trade.
The Panthers are coming off a 5-12 season, their sixth straight with double-digit defeats. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, and Clowney’s release wasn’t the only notable transaction the team made on Thursday. It also placed running back Jonathon Brooks, a second-round pick in 2024, on the Physically Unable to Perform list. As a rookie, Brooks tore his ACL in just his third game, and he will miss the entire 2025 season. Brooks also tore his ACL in the 2023 season while in college, so the team is giving him extra time to rehab and recover.
Carolina also parted ways with pass catcher Jordan Matthews, who began his career as a wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles but has tried to transition to tight end over the last few years. Another converted tight end, Colin Granger, was waived as he attempted to transition from one sport to another. Granger played five seasons of college basketball with three different schools and was attempting to parlay his hoops skills onto the gridiron. However, he lasted roughly a month with Carolina before being cut.
