Texans expect Jadeveon Clowney to be ‘major contributor’ in 2015

The Houston Texans continue to send positive messages about Jadeveon Clowney’s recovery from microfracture surgery.

“Everything that I’ve seen this offseason, I’ve been encouraged and impressed with,” Texans general manager Rick Smith said Tuesday. “He’s doing well. All the reports that I’ve gotten are very positive and yes, we expect that he’ll be a major contributor to our football team this year.”

Houston coach Bill O’Brien last month said Clowney might return as early as training camp in August.

Clowney, who last year became the second South Carolina player ever taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft (joining George Rogers), played in four games, recording seven tackles and no sacks in his first professional season.

The former Gamecocks standout had a rough rookie season from almost the moment he was drafted. He missed the start of training camp after sports hernia surgery and suffered a concussion late in camp. He injured his right knee in his first NFL game and had arthroscopic surgery, then had microfracture surgery in December.

The traditional rehabilitation schedule from microfracture surgery would have Clowney ready in time for the Texans opener in September, Smith previously said. Clowney is rehabilitating in Houston under the supervision of the Texans medical staff.

“Our team needs him, and he knows that. He’s working hard to get back out there,” O’Brien said in March. “He’s putting in a lot of time in our training room with our trainers and our doctors.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Texans expect Jadeveon Clowney to be ‘major contributor’ in 2015."