Clowney is only unsigned franchise-tagged player as deadline passes
Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney didn't receive a long-term contract extension before the 4 p.m. ET franchise-tag deadline passed Monday.
Clowney was hit with the $15.98-million tag March 4 but has yet to sign it. He hasn't attended any of the team's offseason activities and is expected to miss a significant portion of training camp, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
No trade is apparently in the works for the star pass-rusher.
Clowney's contract impasse is apparently complicated by an issue over his positional designation.
The NFL Players Association is expected to file a grievance against Houston due to the team tagging Clowney as a linebacker rather than a defensive end, league sources told Schefter. Clowney played the majority of last season's snaps as a defensive end.
Tagging a defensive end costs $1.7 million more than the linebacker tender.
The Texans' negotiations with Clowney were made more difficult by the recent firing of general manager Brian Gaine and the team's decision not to hire a replacement for the 2019 season.
Gaine and head coach Bill O'Brien reportedly disagreed on Clowney. The former GM apparently wanted to make a long-term commitment to the 2014 No. 1 overall pick.
Clowney made three straight Pro Bowls and has racked up 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons. After struggling to stay healthy early in his career, he's played in 45 games from 2016-2018.
He must now wait until after Houston's final regular-season game in 2019 to sign an extension, or he can wait until the conclusion of the league year to test free agency.
The two other remaining franchise-tagged players - Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould - both received contract extensions at the 11th hour.
Jarrett signed a four-year deal worth a reported $68 million to replace the $15.21-million tender he agreed to April 22. He stayed away from most of the Falcons' offseason workouts but reported for mandatory minicamp in June.
Meanwhile, the 49ers ended their standoff with Gould - who requested a trade to be closer to his family in Chicago - by agreeing to a four-year extension.