Editor's note: A push alert from our app mistakenly said that Clowney will not play on Sunday. His status for the game is unknown.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Jadeveon Clowney may have played his last game in orange and brown after being sent home from the team's practice facilities Friday following comments made in an interview the day before.
Clowney had spoken to Cleveland.com about his future with the team, saying that he was "95% sure" he wouldn't re-sign with the team after the offseason.
Following the interview, the Browns decided to send Clowney home, dismissing him from Friday's practice session.
Officially, his status for Sunday's game is unknown.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski said he has made a decision about Jadeveon Clowney's status for Sunday's game but won't share details at this time.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 6, 2023
Today's injury report listed him as not practicing Friday for reasons that were "not injury related."
Final #Browns vs. Steelers injury report. pic.twitter.com/FDRNgDP8C3
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 6, 2023
If Clowney does not play Sunday against the Steelers, rookie defensive end Alex Wright is expected to see a larger role in his place.
Clowney is set to become a free agent at the end of the season after playing through a 1-year, $10 million contract this year.
The comments made in the interview were not the first incident of its nature. Sources familiar with the situation shared that he's had moments like that throughout his tenure with Cleveland that have been overlooked.
With one game left on the schedule and eyes set on establishing a successful 2023 season, Clowney's dismissal is a strong message to the young and new players on the team and a way to try and reestablish a functional and positive culture moving forward.
If Clowney is part of that culture remains to be seen, though, after the way his last week of practice with the team has gone, it does seem highly unlikely his future involves Cleveland.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
