Washington BREAKING: Will Injured Chase Young Miss Week 1? Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Update
Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young officially landed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) List earlier this week, which doesn't come as much of a surprise considering the former No. 2 overall pick tore his ACL last November.
But now comes more news, with coach Ron Rivera announcing on Friday that the star defender will not be ready to play in Week 1 against Jacksonville, and that he could open the year still on PUP.
What does this mean for Young and the Commanders?
Young must stay on the sidelines and observe practice but cannot participate until the team removes him from the list.
By moving Young to the PUP List, it also opens up a roster spot for the Commanders that it can use to sign someone and add depth or competition at any position on the field.
The team can remove Young from the PUP List at any time during training camp, but once the 53-man rosters are finalized at the end of camp, if Young remains on the PUP List, he will miss at least the first four games of the season.
However, an ESPN expert believes Young will bounce back in his third season as one of the sack leaders in 2022 if he can stay healthy.
“Well, I look at a guy like Chase Young,” player-turned-broadcaster Booger McFarland said. “He’s coming off an ACL injury, obviously. His rookie year he had 7.5 sacks and he was just going to build on that last year, but the ACL popped up, he got injured. I think he’s gonna be motivated—not only didn’t he make the top 10, but motivated coming off the ACL.”
“If he can stay healthy for 17 games, he will approach 20 sacks in the National Football League and approach the forced fumble record,” McFarland said. “He is that type of disruptive and dynamic athlete at the defensive end position for the Washington Commanders.”
Young is entering a critical year as the Commanders will have a choice to make regarding his fifth-year option at season's end. If he underperforms for a second straight season, there will be serious consideration to decline the option.
He doesn't have to be the Defensive Player of the Year and record 20 sacks, but anything less than a career-high eight sacks and at least a couple of forced fumbles is going to leave a lot of questions hanging in the air for the Commanders and how to proceed with their former No. 2 overall pick.
