HOUSTON – In his mind, days before a fast-twitch blur of strategy, power and skill was executed, Jonathan Greenard had already won the battle at the line of scrimmage.
The Texans’ veteran defensive end was following his traditional routine of visualization; the mental technique of seeing and communicating concrete ideas since the start of humanity.
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For Greenard, that means lots of deep thinking the night before games, going through his pass rushing moves in his head or even at home in his conversations with his fiancée.
Before Greenard bull-rushed Carolina Panthers left offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu to the ground with an aggressive charge last Sunday and slammed diminutive rookie quarterback Bryce Young for one of his team-high 2 1/2 sacks, the Georgia native had already envisioned what would happen. He manifested the entire process last Sunday.
“Yes, I do, 1,000 percent,” Greenard said when asked about his use of visualization techniques. “The night before or in practices or a couple nights before I’ll even say it to my lady, my fiancée: ‘I’m about to do this, I’m thinking about doing this.’ Just how I want to attack people. Visualization is the best thing because, if you don’t envision yourself doing it, you won’t know what to do when you get there. I’m just a big proponent and advocate of doing that going into the games.”
The importance of what Greenard is doing on the field has been heightened with his family responsibilities he proudly embraces. He’s the doting new father of a baby girl and engaged to be married.
And the growing family coincides with the former third-round draft pick from the University of Florida being in the final year of his four-year, $4.48 million rookie contract. And Greenard’s timing for his best all-around season through seven games is ideal.
Greenard leads the Texans with six sacks, two less than his career-high eight sacks he recorded in 2021, and he’s on pace for 14 1/2 sacks seven games into the season heading into Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Pending free agency isn’t consuming Greenard. If anything, he’s embracing that process and concentrating on working at his craft: chasing down quarterbacks and being a stout run-stopper.
“I think that’s the biggest key is I knew going into it,” Greenard said. “I’m not oblivious to what’s going on in the outside world. Obviously, I’m in a contract year. I knew I was about to have a child at the time. I just had to understand that, ‘Hey, it has to go right. My feeling is, ‘Who’s going to provide for her?’
“I went about that in that mindset that somebody has to do it. The main thing is the only way I could go was up. Don’t worry about next year or things of that sort. It will happen if it’s going to happen. It’s not for me to decide. I can only control what I can control.”
#Texans veteran defensive end Jonathan Greenard reflects on his 2 1/2 sack game against #Panthers being in a 'groove,' as a pass rusher with team-high six sacks, fatherhood and family responsibilities, visualizing success and being in a contract year and not stressing @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/oH1C0bMnD0
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 3, 2023
Greenard approaches football and life in perspective. There are a lot of important things happening, especially being a girl dad. And he intends to maximize this prime opportunity. Whether he cashes in with the Texans or with another NFL team, he’s cementing a bright present and future.
Greenard already has eight tackles for losses and 10 quarterback hits with 28 tackles. He has 16 1/2 career sacks, 25 tackles for losses and 29 quartebrack hits.
The way that Greenard is performing is setting himself apart as the most consistently disruptive pass rusher on a Texans defense built around coach DeMeco Ryans’ vision of creating pressure primarily with a four-man front and not blitzing frequently.
Fast and smooth in his moves, Greenard is getting home with a versatile repertoire of pass rushing moves. What he’s doing is working.
And the successful outcomes, hitting quarterbacks, tackling running backs in the backfield for losses, are a direct byproduct of his consistency and work habits.
“I would highlight JG again as sort of the poster child for that,” Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. “When he’s getting off the ball, I would say, is JG’s biggest thing. Like when he’s launching and covering ground out of his stance, he sort of plays on his terms. He’s an explosive player.
“So, when he gets out, he’s like forcing linemen to make decisions earlier and he can get into the rush earlier.When he stutters at the line of scrimmage, or he’s not quite as threatening, maybe he doesn’t look the same. For him to go through that process and realize when the success is coming for him, when he plays with his length and when he’s explosive, he’s a pretty impactful player. The consistency for him to do that play in and play out, I feel like he’s been trending through the whole season to this point, and hopefully he keeps growing.”
Greenard usually rushes against left tackles. He’ll face a worthy challenge Sunday against Buccaneers Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs has done a solid job of protecting Mayfield’s blindside. He’s quick, strong and has sound technique and leverage.
For Greenard, the opponent changes every weekend. Yet, his style doesn’t. He’s a finisher who maintains high energy from the snap to the whistle.
“I think it’s just connecting, honestly,” Greenard said. “Some games, it’s good. Some games, it’s better than others. We work these moves all the time. It’s just a matter of continuing to work and trust that they’re eventually going to work. I just had a good day, I continue to work. The thing about the league is who cares about what happened last week. We have to get to next week. I’m excited, though.”
Against Ekwonu, a former first-round draft pick from North Carolina State, Greenard kept beating him to the punch and not allowing him to get his hands on him. When Ekwonu shot his hands toward the chest plate of his shoulder pads, Greenard utilized speed to power. Ekwonu was unable to halt his forward momentum.
“I stayed on my path and what I wanted to do going into the game,” Greenard said. “I wasn’t going to deviate from the plan.”
Greenard is ranked 12th in the NFL with a 24.8 percent pass rush win rate, according to Next Gen Stats.
Reflecting on it all, his upcoming wedding, the contract status and his season, Greenard is maintaining his focus. And he’s doing it all with an eye on physical and mental fitness.
Maturity and being present in all situations, that’s what Greenard is all about.
“Exactly, what it is,” Greenard said. “I know coming home from this, I can’t bring work home. I can’t bring the uncertainty home. I have to put that to the side and say, ‘Hey, look all I can control is my effort and my play on the field.’ Whatever happens outside of that isn’t for me to control.”
Greenard is well aware how lucrative rushing the passer can be.
On the open market, Greenard could potentially command an annual average per year, based on metrics, anywhere from a low of $12 million a year to perhaps the $17 million to $18 million range.
The highest ranked edge rusher contracts as far as average per year range from the San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa ($34 million), the Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt ($28 million), the Los Angeles Chargers’ Joey Bosa ($27 million,), the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett ($25 million), the Green Bay Packers’ Rashan Gary ($24 million), the Los Angeles Chargers’ Khalil Mack ($23.5 million), the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby ($23.5 million), the Miami Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb ($22 million), the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson ($21 million), the Buffalo Bills’ Von Miller ($20 million), the Tennessee Titans’ Harold Landry ($17.5 million), the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Alex Highsmith ($17 million), the Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter ($17 million), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Shaquil Barrett ($17 million), the Dolphins’ Emmanuel Ogbah ($16.35 million), the Seattle Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu ($15 million), the Philadelphia Eagles’ Haason Reddick ($15 million), the 49ers’ Randy Gregory ($13.9 million), the New York Jets’ John Franklin-Myers ( $13.75 million) and five players making at least $13 million annually: Carl Granderson, Preston Smith, Josh Sweat, Cameron Jordan and DeMarcus Lawrence.
Bottom line: Pass rushers get paid. Greenard is well on his way to achieving a life and career goal of generational wealth.
“100 percent, you get to the quarterback, they’ll figure something out,” Greenard said. “I’m going to keep playing ball. I’m happy now. I’m in a good grove, mentally and physically.”
It’s a winning approach for Greenard as he’s been impressive after maintaining a spartan training regimen all summer with his private trainer, Christian “Speedy” Ford, reporting at a lean 250 to 255 pounds, down from his listed 263 pounds on the roster. His body-fat percentage is a lean 12 percent, the lowest of his career.
“I’ve been through dang near every single thing I can think of to go through,” Greenard said. “You just keep a level head and not get too high or too low. This whole game is about ups and downs. You can be high one moment, so you can’t get too high where you don’t understand how to handle the lows. I love that about the game because it’s an exciting game. I steadily grow as a player and as a human because you can’t play this forever and it leads to better habits off the field.”
Greenard was drafted in the third round by the Texans by former coach and general manager Bill O’Brien after recording 9 1/2 sacks, 15 1/2 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles and one interception in his final season for the Gators.
“I think he’s a freak,” Ford said in a telephone interview. “He can do multiple things on the field. He can get out in space. He can rush the passer. I love how he can really bend. I’m excited to see a full, healthy season out of him. He has a motor.”
Ideally, Greenard will remain in a Texans uniform for a long time. That’s his stated preference.
“Shoot, that’s the goal,” he said. “That’s the reason why I play this game, so I can continue to play ball. Hopefully, it’s here. Ultimately, that’s not up for me to decide. I just control my play.”
Hoisting a weighted sled over the summer, Greenard yanked the apparatus backwards with a snap of his wrists and a pull of his biceps.
Between old-fashioned weight lifting and running hills to plyometrics and advanced high intensity workouts, Greenard worked overtime back in his home state of Georgia at Grittfit in Powder Springs with an emphasis on explosiveness, body mechanics, flexibility, injury prevention and converting speed to power. Greenard is healthy after dealing with a strained calf muscle last season that forced him onto injured reserve.
‘I feel good, man,” Greenard said. “I just wanted get in the best shape I could for my body and obviously make it through the season and even longer. The expectations are really high for the team and myself as well. I’m just really excited to get back into the flow of the game with the boys.
“Shouts out to C-Ford, my boy ‘Speedy.’ He looked out and definitely knew certain things to hone in on to get my body right. I feel good, tip-top shape, leaned out and moving better.”
A former defensive back at Kennesaw State and Morehead State, Ford is proud of his work with Greenard, a former regional Defensive Player of the Year at Hiram High School who signed with Louisville before transferring to Florida where he was an All-Southeastern Conference selection.
“He looks real good, he’s powerful as all get out,” Ford said. “He’s cut down a bit. He’s leaned up and is still just as strong. It’s been awesome. Jon hit me up and told me he wanted to get ready for camp and I made that a forefront of our program with injury prevention, explosiveness and power. It’s been going great. I think he’s in great shape.
“He has the confidence in every session in the movements. He thinks it’s going to be his best year and prove right the people in his corner that believe in him and prove anyone else wrong. He’s excited to build. He’s doing his thing.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.