Will 49ers franchise tag former No. 2 overall pick?

The San Francisco 49ers are fully focused on preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. But whether they win or lose on Sunday, they will have a big decision to make within the next few weeks.

That is deciding whether to franchise tag edge-rusher Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

"The 49ers traded a future third-round pick for Young, and the results have been mixed," Pro Football Focus' Marcus Mosher writes. "Still, the 49ers might not want to lose the asset and decide to keep him around for another year. Young is just 24 years old and is now a full year removed from his injury in 2022."

Young was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 2020.

However, he hasn't been the same since tearing his ACL during the 2021 season and missing the majority of the 2022 season. Young has just 56 tackles, nine sacks and two forced fumbles over the past four years.

It will be difficult for San Francisco to move on from the 24-year-old, nonetheless. He has shown flashes of his first-round caliber talent and a third-round pick investment is nothing to just throw away. 

The question is, are the 49ers willing to pay the high price?

According to OverTheCap, the projected 2024 franchise tag for defensive ends is $23.34M. But San Francisco is projected to be $2.92M over the salary cap, per PFF. So, the team will need to make room if it wants to retain Young.

Only time will tell if the 49ers are willing to invest even more into Young. Maybe a strong performance in Super Bowl LVIII could help make the decision a little easier for them.

Teams can franchise tag players between Feb. 20 and the March 5 deadline.