Jadeveon Clowney will sit until the start of Houston Texans training camp after undergoing sports hernia surgery Thursday, according to ESPN's Tania Ganguli. There were questions earlier in the day as to why Clowney had been absent from practice. New head coach Bill O'Brien confirmed that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft will have to miss the rest of offseason activities.
Clowney had a clean bill of health throughout his career at South Carolina, and no reported issues turned up during the pre-draft process. Missing reps is never a good thing for a rookie, but based on Clowney's history it does not appear that Texans fans have much to worry about in the longterm.
The Texans' other high-profile pass rusher, J.J. Watt, also had the day off due to a knee hyperextension. The ailment is not considered serious, however.
Together, Watt and Clowney should form one of the more formidable pass-rushing tandems in the NFL next season. Watt already has an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit in his young career. Clowney arguably has the same potential, after coming out of college as a two-time All-American and the 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year.