No. 1 NFL Draft Pick Jadeveon Clowney Has Barely Played, And The Texans Are Getting 'Frustrated' With Him
The main injury was a torn meniscus, which he suffered in Week 1 against the Redskins, supposedly because of Houston's spotty playing surface.
Before Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Clowney got the flu and couldn't play.
After the injury was announced, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Texans are "becoming frustrated" with Clowney and want him to play hurt:
"The Texans coaching and staff members are becoming frustrated with No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. We know he missed several weeks earlier in the season with a knee injury. He didn't come back quite as soon as they hoped. ... What they want is for him to start showing some maturity and learn to play through some of these ailments. As a source just mentioned to me, this is the first time Clowney has faced any sort of injury adversity. It didn't really happen in college and now they want him to try to play through it in the NFL."
A torn meniscus is typically a four-to-six week injury. Clowney missed six weeks. He played about half the team's snaps in a Week 8 win over Tennessee before sitting out Week 9 with the flu.
Clowney also faced criticism about his "commitment" in his last year in college.
After the game Bill O'Brien said there was no frustration with Clowney among the coaches:
"He's had a couple injuries here and a concussion, some of that is bad luck. He got knocked in the head in the Denver training camp, he got a sports hernia injury, he's got a knee [issue], that's what I think it is. I think the world of Jadeveon Clowney. I don't think there's anyone here that's frustrated with [him]."
Pressuring a rookie into playing hurt probably isn't the best look for Houston, especially when he is considered one of the best prospects in years and you're paying him $22.3 million over the next four years.