Chase Young, a defensive end with the Washington Commanders, needs to perform well to get a new deal. Young had only played three games the previous season and was coming off of an ACL injury, thus the team declined his fifth-year option.
Naturally, the expectation is that Young will perform well, rack up sacks, and earn a flashy new contract—just like Daron Payne did the previous season.
According to Sports Illustrated’s 100 audacious predictions for the NFL season, Young will depart the Commanders at the end of the campaign.
SI notes that at some point, it would be difficult to ignore the possibility of someone offering Washington somewhat more than the team would receive in compensatory value for Young. “He was not given his fifth-year option and only appeared in 11 games this season, failing to build on his impressive 7.5-sack rookie campaign thus far. Call that a subprediction, but the 2020 No. 2 pick can and will rebuild his career elsewhere. It feels a little bit like leaving the dentist’s office when you leave the Commanders. Your entire outlook on life is altered.”
Fans in Washington will find it strange to see Young in the uniform of a different team, but if the defensive end performs poorly on the field in the upcoming season, that scenario may come to pass.
Some people believe that Young can no longer be the kind of player who won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, thus he needs to prove to them that he is.
In all honesty, Young might be considered disposable at this point in the season, even with the Commanders in a strong position.
Young does not need to sign a long-term contract because Jack Del Rio’s defense finished eighth in the NFL last season in terms of points allowed (averaging just 20.2 a game). Payne (11.5 sacks), Montez Sweat (8.0 sacks), and Jonathan Allen (7.5 sacks) all had excellent seasons.
Washington is in the lead right now. Either play young and he finds his form again, which would be good for the team, or they let him go and avoid having to pay a large salary.
Though this is just a speculation, Young might find himself on a different team and desperately need to revive his once-promising career if things do not work out the next season.
