The Cleveland pass rusher mentioned he is unlikely to return next season.
The Browns sent defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney home on Friday from practice, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports. Clowney’s status for Sunday’s game vs. the Steelers remains unclear.
On Thursday, Clowney admitted that he was likely to leave the team in free agency instead of returning next season.
“Ninety-five percent sure I won’t be back,” Clowney said, via Cabot. “But there’s still that five percent. You never know what can happen.”
Clowney implied that the team hasn’t been using him properly, and he has more left in the tank as long as a team is willing to give him a chance.
“I just feel like I need to be around somebody that believes in me and my ability,” Clowney said. “[It can’t] just be me believing in myself. I believe in myself more than anybody.”
He added that the Browns “got their own guys, and I ain’t one of them, so it’s time for me to get my exit slip.”
Clowney is in his second season with the Browns, but after recording nine sacks and 37 tackles in 2021, he has just two sacks and 28 tackles this year. The veteran will hit free agency for the fourth straight offseason.
