What's suddenly become a rough patch for the Tennessee Titans just potentially got quite a bit worse. After beginning the season on a 5-0 tear, the club has now dropped two straight, including a Week 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. As they look to right the ship in Week 9 against the scrappy Chicago Bears, they might have to do so without Jadeveon Clowney. The veteran pass rusher is reportedly dealing with a meniscus issue in his knee, per Mike Garofolo of NFL Network, that could cost him time going forward.
For now, Clowney is questionable to appear against the Bears -- as he attempts to push through the injury -- but surgery to repair the meniscus has not yet been ruled out. If he does opt to undergo surgery, a meniscus trim would sideline him for several weeks, but a full repair would end his season. Neither Clowney nor the Titans have made a decision as of yet, and both are hoping the ailment is a manageable one going forward.
If it's determined the former first-overall pick will undergo surgery, it will be devastating to both he and the Titans defense.
The 27-year-old is betting big on himself in 2020, waving off several offers in the offseason as he looked for a one-year deal that would both pay him handsomely and allow for the re-entering into free agency in 2021. After not receiving as warm of a welcome as he had hoped in the last wave of free agency, the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end is looking to increase his value by way of helping the Titans defense become one opposing teams fear, but Tennessee has struggled to take down opposing quarterbacks this season -- even with Clowney in tow.
While he's been great about applying pressure, as evidenced in his six QB hits this year, he has no sacks through seven games and would like to stay on the field to change that stat before hitting the open market for a second consecutive offseason. Coming off of a down season in 2019 that saw him log just three sacks for the Seattle Seahawks, an injury that costs him a ton of time -- if not the rest of the year -- would tank his stock.
And for a Titans defense who recently gave up on the Vic Beasley experiment, and one that currently allows 26.3 points per game (19th), it would be another 2020 free agency black eye on the Tennessee defensive line. For now, however, things are still being figured out when it comes to Clowney's knee.
