MUNICH — Jadeveon Clowney had never been to Germany before this week. And the Carolina Panthers’ veteran edge rusher wasn’t sure if he’d be making this trip, either.
Clowney told The Athletic on Friday he thought there was a chance he would be moved to a contending team before Tuesday’s trade deadline. But now that he’s here with the Panthers for the second international game in their history, Clowney hopes to leave his mark against the New York Giants.
“With the record, I did think so,” Clowney said when asked about the possibility he would be traded. “But I just go out there and do what I can do on Sundays. And hope that whatever happens, they see my value around here and that they want to keep me.”
Clowney, who grew up in Rock Hill, S.C., and played at South Carolina, signed a two-year, $20 million deal with his hometown-ish team during the offseason. But it’s reasonable to think the former No. 1 pick might be of greater value to a playoff contender rather than a Panthers team entering Sunday’s game with a 2-7 record.
But while Super Bowl hopefuls Kansas City and Detroit traded for pass rushers Josh Uche and Za’Darius Smith, respectively, before the deadline, Clowney stayed put.
“You never know,” he said. “I signed for two (years). I was expecting to be here. I was just hoping everything worked out for me.”
This isn’t the season the 31-year-old Clowney envisioned for himself or the Panthers. With one sack in seven games, he’s well off his pace from 2023, when he tied a career-high with 9.5 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens. Clowney believes the Panthers’ pass rush has suffered because they’ve usually trailed late in games.
Clowney sacked Malik Willis twice last year when the Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans in London. Maybe he’ll have another big game overseas and upstage Giants edge rusher Brian Burns, the former Panther whose been a popular storyline.
“I usually do s— like that,” Clowney said. “That’s normally how it goes. You’ll see. They’re gonna talk about me at the end of the game.”
Here are three other Panthers things we’re talking about in Munich:
Chuba Hubbard’s unfinished business in Carolina
Most of the discussion after the Panthers signed running back Chuba Hubbard to a four-year, $33.2 million extension focused on why head coach Dave Canales and GM Dan Morgan wanted to keep Hubbard around. But what hasn’t been addressed: Why did Hubbard want to stay in an organization that’s done nothing but lose since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2021?
“A lot of people could definitely say, ‘Go somewhere else for your career. Do this. Do that. Maybe wait and see what happens.’ But I’ve been committed to the Panthers since I’ve been here through thick and thin,” Hubbard said after the Panthers practiced at FC Bayern Munich’s academy stadium.
Dinner on Chuba tonight? pic.twitter.com/qNrACw4xjF
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 8, 2024
“I kept working, kept working to try to change the culture here. I wanted to be a part of that. I still want to be a part of it, obviously,” he added. “I want to see this thing get turned around and I know it will. … This is where I want to be and I want to do great things here.”
Hubbard ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing and is on pace to become the Panthers’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Christian McCaffrey in 2019. Besides his production, Canales and Morgan believe Hubbard embodies what the team wants to stand for as far as leadership and work ethic are concerned.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Canales said. “When I found out the deal was getting done, I was so excited and Chuba and I shared a cool moment. Because it takes both sides. He’s gotta believe in what we’re doing, and we believe in what he does.”
Jonathan Brooks’ status
Staying on the subject of running backs, Hubbard believes rookie Jonathan Brooks is wired the same way he is. “He’s one of those dudes,” he said. “He’s definitely different. He’s special. I said it early on — he reminds me of myself in a lot of ways when it comes to his work ethic and stuff like that.”
Brooks was added to the active roster this week after missing the first nine weeks while recovering from ACL surgery last November, which ended his final season at Texas. But the Panthers have exercised caution with Brooks throughout his recovery, and Canales was noncommittal about whether the second-round pick would play against the Giants.
Canales lumped Brooks and free agent pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, who had health complications following quad surgery last December, in the same category.
“They’re a possibility,” he said. “They looked good all week, so they’re making the decision pretty hard on us, with their availability and knowing those are two really good players that can help us. We’ll make that decision in the next couple days.”
Hubbard is excited to see Brooks in action, whenever that may be.
“Throughout the injury and not being able to play early on, he’s worked really hard to learn the playbook, defenses. Asks the right questions,” Hubbard said. “Once he hits the field, gets comfortable and gets his feet under him, sky’s the limit.”
Jonathon Brooks on possibly making his NFL debut in Germany. pic.twitter.com/QqsTTjFf5C
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 6, 2024
Pick your poison
With Ikem Ekwonu missing his second consecutive game with an ankle injury, Brady Christensen will start at left tackle again, with Cade Mays replacing Christensen at center. Mays, who was on the Giants’ practice squad after the Panthers cut him in August, played well against the New Orleans Saints last week. According to Pro Football Focus, Mays did not allow a pressure on 29 pass-blocking snaps and his protection grade of 84.4 tied for first among centers.
But Mays and the Panthers’ guards will have their hands full this week with Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, whose nine sacks rank second in the league — just one fewer than Carolina’s team total for sacks. Of course, Sunday won’t be a picnic for Christensen, either: The former All-American tackle at BYU will be matched against Burns, who has five sacks halfway through his first season in New York.
“You can’t really avoid it. We’re gonna have some good matchups and we’ve gotta be really smart about how we pass, when we pass,” Canales said. “I think it’s just taking into consideration all those guys and the challenges that those matchups present to us.”
Bryce Young, who makes his third consecutive start at quarterback, said he’ll keep an eye on Burns, but not at the expense of ignoring the likes of Azeez Olujari (six sacks) and Lawrence. The Giants lead the NFL with 35 sacks overall.
“Obviously, know Burns,” Young said. “Know the player he is, the competitor he is. So we know we have to be at our best for him. They also have a lot of (other) good players on that defense, a lot of really good players on that front. … They’re good enough all around to where you can’t sell out for one person.”
(Photo: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)
