Why decision to re-sign Chase Young is out of Commanders' hands
When the Washington Commanders declined to pick up Chase Young’s fifth-year option, it cast some doubt on the 24-year-old edge rusher’s future with the team.
While the Commanders are playing it off as being more of a prove-it situation for Young, who’s missed 22 games over the last two seasons, one may wonder if Washington is actually forcing Young to prove he’s better, and perhaps more valuable, than teammate Montez Sweat, who’s also due for a contract extension after this season.
After signing defensive tackles Jonathan Allen to a four-year, $72M deal last year and DaRon Payne four-year, $90M deal this year, the Commanders will likely only pony up for one of Sweat and Young, and they could be forcing the players to make the decision for them.
Logically, that battle favors Sweat. He comes with fewer injury concerns (he’s missed just seven games over four years) and he’s been the more productive pass rusher, recording seven or more sacks and 30 or more pressures in three of those four seasons.
However, Young is two years younger and he’s shown flashes of being the Nick Bosa-type player Washington envisioned when it drafted him No. 2 overall in 2020.
Young made the Pro Bowl and won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award after a 7.5 sack debut season in which he also generated 42 pressures, 30 hurries and six QB hits.
It could be argued that had he not suffered an ACL tear during the 2021 season, Young would be producing double-digit sack and 60-plus pressure seasons with the likes of the league’s top pass rushers like Bosa, Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett.
As SI.com’s Albert Breer recently speculated, pass-rush needy teams like the Bears, Lions or Seahawks could call the Commanders heading into training camp to inquire about Young’s availability with the intent to swing a trade.
That would certainly take onus off them in having to decide which edge rusher to reward with a lucrative contract. But make no mistake, Washington certainly knew what it was doing in declining Young’s $17.45M fifth-year option.
More must-reads: