The Commanders have been without Chase Young for exactly one calendar year, and his return will not take place Monday. Washington is not activating the edge rusher from the PUP list ahead of the game against the Eagles, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
The Commanders opened Young’s three-week return window at the beginning of the month, and he returned to practice. That fell in line with their stated plan for the 2020 second overall pick, but the team remained cautious with his midweek workload. As a result, he was not activated ahead of last week’s contest.
That pointed to a return for Monday’s prime-time matchup, but the Ohio State product will remain sidelined for at least one more week as he continues to recover from an ACL tear. That injury ended his sophomore campaign, one that included just 1.5 sacks through nine game – a notable drop from the 7.5 he posted the year prior en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. A midseason return has been expected since August.
More worrying still, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that it is “not considered a slam dunk” Young will be activated by next week. If the Nov. 23 deadline passes without the team doing so, Young will not be eligible to return for the remainder of the season. That would mark a major blow to the team’s pass rush, of course, though the Commanders have managed to rank mid-pack so far with 23 sacks this season.
For Young individually, a full missed season would likely have financial ramifications. This coming offseason marks the first point at which he is eligible for an extension, one that appeared to be on track for one of the league’s richest after his first season in the league. Since then, however, the drop in production and significant time missed due to injury could be cause for hesitation on the team’s part to make a long-term commitment before he retakes the field.
For at least one more week, Montez Sweat will be paired with James Smith-Williams on the edge as Washington looks to upset Philadelphia. Young’s participation in practice though the week will become increasingly worth watching as his activation deadline nears.
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