National Football League

Watt says rehabbing Clowney more mature heading into 2015 season

Published Jun. 18, 2015 8:37 a.m. ET

foxsports

To say Jadeveon Clowney’s rookie season didn't live up to the hype is an understatement. The No. 1 pick in the 2014 played in just four games for the Houston Texans before having season-ending microfracture surgery on his right knee.

Clowney has been rehabbing in preparation for a bounce-back sophomore season, and one person who has seen Clowney's growth as a professional is his All-Pro defensive end teammate J.J. Watt.

"I think, obviously, we want to get him back on the field," Watt said, via the team. "That's the first thing. We want to get him healthy. But I have seen him mature, I can say that. It's a good sign. He's been growing as a person and I think that we're excited to get him back on the field, whenever that may be. I think he's going to be a good addition to our team when he comes back."

Watt was unanimously named Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 after recording 20.5 sacks. If Clowney can recapture the form that made him a dominant college star, he could alleviate all the attention Watt receives on the field.