Commanders' Ron Rivera Offers Chase Young Injury Update
Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young was a slow burn in his recovery from an ACL injury. After being cautious with their star, the Commanders ramped up Young's workload to the point where he saw meaningful snaps against the Cleveland Browns in Game 1 of the preseason.
But unfortunately, Young suffered a stinger to his neck, and that has forced him to sit on the sidelines as Washington, again, is cautious with their defensive star.
As Game 3 of their preseason schedule is coming into focus, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera offered an update on Young's current health.
"It was good to see [DE] Chase [Young] out on the field," Rivera said. "We did some work. We let everybody know that we are keeping our heads out of contact so he can get some work and continue with his rehab. We are just waiting on his final exam to get him back out on the field.”
While a neck stinger isn't the be-all and end-all, given Young's injury history and the fact that he is now playing for a new contract, Washington clearly wants to give the former Ohio State Buckeye the best chance to be successful.
Given that the regular season is now just weeks away, we imagine that Washington won't be taking any risks with any players for a preseason game.
Young's doctor's exam will tell Rivera and the Commanders' coaching staff if the defensive end is ready to be put back into contact drills or not.
For Rivera, Young has done everything asked of him thus far, now, it's just up to the doctor.
“It's coming tomorrow [doctor appointment], and then we'll go from there," Rivera said. "He's done everything that we've asked him to, and we're just hoping for exactly what the doctor said. He had a little bit of a pinch, and they want to make sure that the swelling is down and move on.”
With Young having to play for his future after Washington declined his fifth-year option, the defensive end needs to make every chance count, and to do that, he has to avoid injury and put his best foot forward on the field.
The regular season is nearly upon Young, and his bid to get a new contract begins, hopefully with a full bill of health.
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