Will the Dallas Cowboys' new signing, Jadeveon Clowney, play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears? Nobody knows. That's the status because team owner Jerry Jones said he will play, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer's answer was exactly the opposite.
On Friday, Jones said on "105.3 The Fan" that he expects Clowney to play on Sunday but admitted he didn't know how much the defensive end would see the field, ESPN's Todd Archer reported.
Later, Schottenheimer gave a more cautious update, saying it's still uncertain if Clowney will play and that the team will keep evaluating him up to game time.
Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, was signed on Monday to strengthen the Cowboys' pass rush, depleted after Micah Parsons was traded. He has not gone through offseason workouts or preseason games.
Upon joining Dallas, Clowney stated:
"No, Micah Parsons is Micah Parsons. I'm Jadeveon Clowney. I'm coming in to do me, just do my thing, help in any way I can and play football. I said they could have used me when he was here. I felt they could have used me with him also. ... Everything happened for a reason, and I'm here now. I'm just glad for the opportunity to be here and to keep playing football."
The Cowboys need Clowney to boost their defense as they prepare to face Chicago, but the final decision will depend on how he looks in practice today.