The Seattle Seahawks lost edge rusher Boye Mafe in free agency, and the team could do with a replacement. That might come through the draft, or perhaps a player like Jadeveon Clowney could be added in free agency. One NFL analyst thinks otherwise, though.
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell projects the edge rusher to sign with NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, this is all a prediction, and anything is possible, but Podell's logic is quite sound. After all, San Francisco's pass rush was putrid in 2025.
That the team made the playoffs and had a slim chance of being the top seed in the NFC late in the season speaks volumes about the positive culture of the 49ers and the excellence of its coaching staff. San Francisco worked through multiple key injuries, and even while it is one of Seattle's most important rivals, they deserve credit for hanging around.
CBS Sports predicts Jadeveon Clowney will sign with a key Seattle Seahawks rival
Clowney's addition would make them more dangerous. The 49ers averaged just 1.18 sacks a game last season, the fewest for a team that has made the postseason. Not only can Clowney chase opposing quarterbacks, but he is also elite at setting an edge against the run. His well-rounded ability should make him an ideal target for Seattle, too.
Podell wrote, "Adding a healthy, proven pass rush threat along the edge in Clowney would relieve some of the urgency on (Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams) to rush back from their injuries. Plus, Clowney already has plenty of pass-rush chemistry with new 49ers defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa after suiting up together in Dallas last season."
The expectation is that Jadeveon Clowney wouldn't be overly expensive, potentially signing for $7 million or less in 2026. San Francisco has that money to spend, but so do the Seahawks. If the two teams are potentially lining up for an arms race for the edge rusher, Seattle and San Francisco could both afford him.
Of course, the Seattle Seahawks do have a history with Clowney. He played quite well for the team in his one season in the Pacific Northwest in 2019. Though he had just three sacks, the pass rush overall was so poor that Clowney was the focal point and faced double-teams most of the time.
Still, he could find ways to disrupt, as he did against the 49ers when he had five quarterback hits in Week 10. Should he come back to the Seattle Seahawks in 2026, he wouldn't be expected to be the only high-end edge rusher, and could be part of a rotation with players such as DeMarcus Lawrence that would allow Clowney to stay fresh.
Even better, Jadeveon Clowney would understand his fit in a Mike Macdonald-coached defense. The edge rusher was very good in his one season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. The Ravens' defensive coordinator then was Macdonald.