Commanders Ex Chase Young Emotional After 'Tough' 49ers Super Bowl Loss vs. Chiefs
Washington Commanders fans watched defensive end Chase Young play, get hurt, battle back, and ultimately get traded to the San Francisco 49ers over the span of four years.
One of the reasons Commanders loved Young during his time with the team was the style and energy he brought to the field when he was on it, and the dream that he'd reach his full potential in the DMV never faded up to the day he was sent away.
Even as he suited up for the 49ers for Super Bowl LVIII, however, there were plenty of people in Washington rooting for Young and his teammates as they faced quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Chase Young (92) reacts after a play against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards Sunday night, and while some fans back home are disappointed for him, Young's emotions about the loss couldn't be hidden as he held them back long enough to answer a few questions from the media.
"It's tough," Young said about the loss. "Just to get in the mix halfway through the season, come to a great group. It's tough."
Nobody who has watched Young's journey in the NFL will be surprised by the short answers he gave Sunday night.
Young has always worn his heart on his sleeve and while he's been criticized over the years for a lot of things, the desire to win - or lack thereof - has never been one of them.
To be honest, no matter who lost the big game they were going to come out of it knowing there were moments available for them to take a grip on it and run away with it.
San Francisco was able to take a 10-3 lead into halftime but after fumbling the ball away in scoring position on the opening drive and a couple of drive-killing penalties later in the first half the team had to know the lead could have - even should have - been bigger.
In the second half, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 16-9 scoring advantage tying the game with just three seconds left in regulation, sending the two combatants to overtime.
"We (were) confident," Young said about the team entering overtime. "We never let up."
The 49ers got the ball to start the half and scored a field goal, putting pressure on Kansas City to score on the next drive.
The Chiefs had only scored on five of 12 possessions in regulation, so it seemed the San Francisco defense had a fighting chance to seal the victory, and even forced its opponent to a fourth down conversion try at one point.
Ultimately Mahomes connected with receiver Mecole Hardman for the game-winning score, and Young was left to collect the pieces of a tumultuous season as he approaches the potential of being an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
In his first career Super Bowl appearance Young finished with two tackles, one sack, and nearly had a second that Mahomes threw out of, drawing an intentional grounding penalty in the process.
