Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported this morning that the Washington Commanders will not be picking up the fifth-year option on defensive end Chase Young.
The option would have paid him $17.452 million and been fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. Chase Young was selected second overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Young burst onto the scene in 2020, recording 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries (including one returned for a touchdown). He was selected to the Pro Bowl and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Unfortunately, he’s battled injuries and decline since. Young recorded only two sacks in nine games before his patellar tendon injury in Week 10 in 2021, costing him the rest of the year and most of the 2022 season.
Washington rewarded fellow defensive lineman Daron Payne with a four-year, $90 million extension in March. Payne recorded a team-high 11.5 sacks and 44 defensive stops last season.
“If you look at what Daron did, why wouldn’t you think of it that way?” Rivera said. “… It cost us. But it cost us in a good way because the young man played; he did things the right way.”
Rivera’s comments point to Payne’s availability as much as his performance as a motivator for the deal. That won’t bode well for Young if that’s a make-or-break detail for the Commanders. Still, the decision doesn’t signal an end to his time in Washington. But it does put Young in a make-or-break scenario heading into the 2023 season.