CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have landed one of the top pass rushers on the free-agent market — and it just so happens they’re bringing him home, too.

Jadeveon Clowney, the All-Pro bowl pass rusher and three-time Pro Bowler from Rock Hill, S.C., has signed with his hometown team, the Panthers announced on Wednesday afternoon. He agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal worth up to $24 million, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The addition of Clowney — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft — fortifies a pass rush that took its lumps at the beginning of free agency but has steadily been rebuilt by general manager Dan Morgan and the Panthers’ front office. In a matter of weeks, the Panthers have acquired DJ Wonnum, formerly of the Vikings, and Clowney to help replace the departures of the team’s two top sack leaders from 2023: outside linebacker Brian Burns, who was traded to the New York Giants; and Frankie Luvu, who signed with the Washington Commanders.

Clowney, 31, is coming off one of his best seasons to date. In his 2023 spent as a Baltimore Raven, Clowney notched a tied-for-career-best 9.5 sacks in 17 games played. He also added two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Clowney is a South Pointe High School graduate and one of the biggest names to come out of Rock Hill — a town of about 70,000 people with so much NFL talent that it is known as “Football City, USA.” Clowney isn’t the only South Pointe Stallion to play for his hometown team, either. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore did, too, when he joined the Panthers in the middle of the 2021 season.

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