Commanders to Make Chase Young Play For New Contract; Right Move?
The Washington Commanders are in an interesting position regarding the contract situation of defensive star Chase Young. At the time of writing, Washington has not opted to pick up Young's fifth-year option.
This isn't new for the franchise, as they did the same thing with fellow defensive star Daron Payne. How did that work out?
Payne hit career highs for sacks (11.5), combined tackles (64), tackles for loss (18), and quarterback hits (20) as he also got his first Pro Bowl nod. Seeing how well it worked for Payne, who signed a shiny new contract this offseason after his exploits, could Washington do something similar with Young?
Granted, there is a health issue that needs to be addressed as well. Young played the last three games of Washington's season last year as he was a slow burn returning from his ACL injury.
With the Commanders clearly being cautious, Young's snap counts in each game increased, and now he enters the offseason free of his injury troubles...but not his contract troubles.
Washington head coach Ron Rivera has stated that Young's health is a critical detail of whether or not to exercise his fifth-year option.
But after seeing Young's progress for the last three games of the season with no setbacks, does the franchise and its coaching staff want to see more?
Or do they want to give themselves and out if Young does down again with an injury? Both are likely true.
In reality, there is nothing to gain by picking up Young's fifth-year-option right now, and if they sit and wait, the decision could be made for them. Let's remember the Commanders' defense under Jack Del Rio didn't exactly miss Young's presence last year, as they finished as the seventh-best team regarding points allowed in the NFL (20.2) and 11th in sacks (43).
So as things stand, there could be a real chance that Young's 2023 season will follow the same path as Payne's...play well and show the franchise you are worthy of a long-term deal.
It worked for Payne, there's no reason to think it won't for Young.
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