One of the biggest moves ahead of the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline was the San Francisco 49ers acquiring defensive end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders. The 49ers acquired the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft in exchange for a compensatory third-round pick.
Washington underwent an unexpected firesale, trading Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears in addition to Young. The Commanders received a second-round pick from the Bears, which led to many people lauding the deal for San Francisco.
For the 49ers, the asking price for Sweat, along with other players they inquired about, such as cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Patrick Surtain II of the Bears and Denver Broncos. Originally, San Francisco was finding the same issue with Young.
The Commanders were reportedly seeking a second and fifth-round pick in any trade talks centered around Young. But, teams weren’t willing to meet that price as they were concerned about the medicals for Young, who suffered a brutal knee injury in 2021.
That is when Washington opted to drop the asking price for Young and the 49ers took full advantage. So far so good, as a San Francisco official, said, “He has been rocking.”
The 49ers are hoping that the duo of Young and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa will help get the 49ers on track for the remainder of the season. So far, so good as San Francisco dismantled the Jacksonville Jaguars in their Week 10 matchup.
A 34-3 blowout victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the 49ers. Bosa had 1.5 sacks in the game, while Young had half of a sack himself. That was part of the five total sacks the team had against Trevor Lawrence, who struggled all afternoon.
If the San Francisco defense can have more of the game in the second half of the season, the wins are going to start racking up once again. Young is expected to be a big part of that success going forward. He has some pressure to succeed as he will be a free agent in 2024 and looking to land a lucrative long-term contract.
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