Report: Chances of Seattle Seahawks re-signing Jadeveon Clowney now 'slim to none'

The chances of Jadeveon Clowney returning to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 are now “slim to none,” according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The chances of Jadeveon Clowney returning to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 are now “slim to none,” according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Photo: Rick Scuteri, FRE / Associated Press Photo: Rick Scuteri, FRE / Associated Press Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Report: Chances of Seattle Seahawks re-signing Jadeveon Clowney now 'slim to none' 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

The chances of Jadeveon Clowney returning to the Seattle Seahawks in 2020 are now “slim to none,” according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Clowney, 27, remains uncommitted to a team more than three weeks into the free agency period. The edge rusher’s perception of his value on the open market has differed from how teams actually view him, fueling a stalemate. The novel coronavirus outbreak has also prevented clubs from conducting in-person physicals with Clowney. There are concerns about his health history.

And while the Seahawks have remained steadfast in their desire to keep Clowney, his unwavering expectations and the dragged out free-agency process is making re-signing him look more unlikely, per Garafolo.

“I don’t know that he’s going to be back in Seattle,” Garafolo told Sports Radio KJR on Tuesday. “I would say that the chances are slim to none right now that he’ll be back (with the Seahawks). And they certainly did whatever they could. And if they didn’t have the strongest offer, they certainly had one that was extremely competitive. Nothing in the realm of what Clowney wants, and nobody’s living in that realm right now.

“The Seahawks did what they could to bring him back. At this point, unless something drastically changes, I just don’t see it happening.”

The contract figures on what the Seahawks offered Clowney early in free agency have been across the board, but the edge rusher has recently softened his initial contract demands, according to ESPN. Clowney was believed to have wanted $20 million per year, top-market money. He’s lowered that number in hopes of fueling more interest.

On top of the Seahawks, the teams known or reported to have shown interest in Clowney include the Browns, Titans and Jets.

While ‘Clowney Watch’ has dragged on, and the market for edge defenders continues to dry out, Seattle hasn't been able to sit idle any longer to improve its pass rush. The team this week announced the signing of veteran defensive end Benson Mayowa, who began his career with the Seahawks in 2013. Mayowa had a career-high seven sacks last season.

The Seahawks also brought back Bruce Irvin -- who also played on the 2013 Super Bowl team -- early in free agency. Irvin and Mayowa had 15.5 sacks combined last season, more than half Seattle’s total as a team (28).

If Clowney does indeed go elsewhere, veteran defensive end Everson Griffen figures to be a priority to sign. The 32-year-old Griffen, a four-time Pro Bowler, had eight sacks with the Vikings in 2019. He played for coach Pete Carroll at USC.

The Seahawks could also look to one of the franchise-tagged pass rushers for reinforcements. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (Jaguars) and outside linebacker Matthew Judon (Ravens) are considered sign-and-trade candidates.

At this point, perhaps the alternative options should be the priority for Seattle.

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Ben Arthur covers sports for SeattlePI. He can be reached by email at benjaminarthur@seattlepi.com. Follow him on twitter at @benyarthur.