Jadeveon Clowney lobbying former teammate Stephon Gilmore to join him on Carolina Panthers

NFL star pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney wants a reunion with Stephon Gilmore in Charlotte. Clowney recently signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers, and when he talked to reporters on Friday, he said he spoke to the Super Bowl champion cornerback about possibly joining the Panthers.

“I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully, he pull up and come play here. Me and him, have some fun here,” Clowney said, per Pro Football Talk.

Clowney is playing for his hometown team as he’s from Rock Hill, South Carolina. Gilmore is also from Rock Hill and the two played together when they were with the South Carolina Gamecocks. Both players have had strong NFL careers, and the addition of Gilmore would help a Panthers defense that finished 29th in the NFL in points allowed per game (24.5).

Jadeveon Clowney talks following Panthers during his career

Clowney joins the Panthers after spending the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens. In his one season in Baltimore, Clowney recorded 43 tackles and 9.5 sacks in 17 regular season games. And in two playoff games, Clowney notched four tackles and one sack. Clowney is now ready to help the Panthers get back on track after a disappointing 2023 season.

“It’s exciting. I’ve been looking forward to growing up watching this team all my career and all my life,” Clowney said during his press conference. “Once you get to the NFL, you wonder how they run things, how they do things up there, and for me to just be in this building now on the team. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go ahead and showcase myself and also meet new guys and build new relationships throughout this team and see how far we can go.”

Clowney was selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played for the Texans for five seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl three times. Clowney made the All-Pro Second Team in 2016 after registering 52 tackles and six sacks. Following his time in Houston, Clowney played for the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.

Gilmore played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. He played in all 17 games and tallied 68 tackles, two interceptions and 13 passes defended. Gilmore was selected No. 10 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons with the Bills before signing a five-year contract with the New England Patriots in 2017. Gilmore won a Super Bowl with the team during the 2018 season and was named Defensive Player of the Year the following season. He played for the Panthers in 2021 after the Patriots traded him to the team.