Aug 17, 2015 3 min read

Jadeveon Clowney was so excited Monday in his first practice with the Houston Texans since microfracture knee surgery that he asked coach Bill O’Brien if he could take a run at the quarterbacks.

“I was like: `Coach, let me get some pass rush today,”‘ Clowney said. “He was like: ‘No, it’s your first day out here; we’re going to take it slow.'”

The outside linebacker, who made a name for himself by chasing quarterbacks at South Carolina, participated in walk-throughs and individual drills, but did not do any contact work. The Texans aren’t sure when he’ll play in a game.

Clowney was the top overall pick in last year’s draft. He played just four games last season because of various injuries before having season-ending surgery in December.

Because of his abbreviated season he doesn’t really feel as if it’s his second year in the NFL.

“I do feel like kind of a rookie because I didn’t get to play more than what, four games,” he said. “So it’s kind of like a rookie season all over again for me.”

O’Brien was encouraged by Clowney’s work Monday and touched on the plan for him moving forward.

“We’re going to ease him back into this thing and ramp him up to be able to play in games,” O’Brien said.

Clowney had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after injuring it in the season opener in 2014.

He played three games after that, but never felt right and eventually had the second, more drastic surgery to repair his knee. He wouldn’t say how close he is to being back to his old self, but did say that he feels better now than he did after his first surgery.

Rivers pleased with extension: Philip Rivers says the commitment by the San Diego Chargers in giving him a four-year contract extension outweighs the uncertainty caused by the team’s apparent desire to move to Los Angeles.

Rivers agreed Saturday night to the $84 million deal, which will allow him to retire as a Charger.

“Unless something changes from Tom’s standpoint or upstairs, I’m going to be a Charger, wherever we are,” Rivers said Monday.

General manager Tom Telesco called it “a very important day in the history of the Chargers,” and noted that Rivers will be able to finish his career as a Charger, just like Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

Browns’ Seymour suspended: Browns backup center Ryan Seymour has been suspended four games by the NFL for a banned substance.

Seymour played in 11 games and started three last season at center after Alex Mack broke his leg. The league said Seymour violated the policy on performance enhancing substances and will be suspended without pay.

The league did not say which substance Seymour used.

He can to return to the Browns’ active roster on Oct. 5. Seymour is eligible to participate in all preseason practices and exhibition games.