National Football League

Report: Clowney tells teammate he stepped in 'hole' when he hurt knee

Published Sep. 9, 2014 8:05 a.m. ET

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Texans safety D.J. Swearinger said on NFL Network that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney told him his injury occurred after he landed on a "hole" in turf at NRG Stadium.

Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in May's NFL Draft, had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Monday and is expected to miss four to six weeks.

''He didn't say anything to me about that,'' Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. ''From looking at all the angles on film, he just came down awkwardly. Most of those types of injuries are non-contact.''

Clowney left a dual practice Aug. 20 after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme. He missed the Texans' final two preseason games, but said he passed the NFL protocols for head injuries in just over a week. He had to sit out the beginning of camp, too, after offseason surgery to repair a sports hernia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.