Saints could be without difference-making edge rusher in Week 4 vs. Bills

Former Rookie of the Year has missed three straight games for New Orleans to start the season, leading to an anemic performance from the Saints' pass rush.

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) looks on against the Denver Broncos | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

An anemic New Orleans Saints' pass rush could be without one of its key pieces once again this week against the Buffalo Bills.

After appearing in 17 regular-season games for the first time in his career a year ago, Saints edge rusher Chase Young has missed his team’s first three games of the 2025 campaign and is trending toward a fourth consecutive absence against the Bills on Sunday.

Young is dealing with a calf injury he sustained during the preseason and remains out of practice as the matchup with Buffalo is now just days away, making it increasingly unlikely that he will make his season debut in Week 4.

Jul 30, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) cools down on a break during training camp | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The 2020 first-round pick of the Washington Commanders is a former Rookie of the Year who has dealt with injury issues throughout his career, except during the 2024 campaign, Young’s first with the Saints, in which he recorded 5.5 sacks and a career-high quarterback pressure rate of 16.2 percent. New Orleans recorded a total of 39 sacks as a team last season, 31 of those coming when Young was on the field, per Locked On Saints host Ross Jackson.

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Now in his second year in New Orleans, Young has yet to appear in a game this season, with his absence contributing to what has been an abysmal run for the Saints’ pass rush over the first four weeks. New Orleans is currently dead last in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (21.6%) and is set to go up against a Bills’ offensive line that has allowed its opponent to pressure the quarterback at a league low rate of 20.7 percent.

Dec 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) looks up at fans before the game against the New York Giants | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Last week, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold operated near uninhibited from the pocket, dicing up the Saints’ defense for 218 yards and two touchdowns on 14 of 18 completions, good enough for a 154.2 passer rating. He was pressured just three times on 18 drop-backs.

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Buffalo may be without one of its starting offensive linemen against New Orleans, as right tackle Spencer Brown has missed two straight practices due to a calf injury of his own. Still, if Young is once again unable to suit up this week, that would once again put New Orleans’ defensive front at a significant disadvantage in this matchup.

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