Chase Young's Resurgence Raises Uncomfortable Question for Commanders

Former Washington star Chase Young has revived his career in New Orleans, reopening questions about what went wrong with the Commanders.

New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young (99) celebrates a play against Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jayden Daniels' most recent elbow dislocation reinforced a few hard truths about the hapless modern-day Washington Commanders and their repeatedly foiled attempts at building around young talent. Things just haven't gone their way, seemingly, throughout the 21st century, with injuries most recently impeding the newest wunderkind Daniels' chances to regularly display his unequivocal talent on the field.

But he'd be far from the first D.C.-based prodigy to see his early brilliance overshadowed by bad health luck, even if the franchise remains a long way from giving up on the still-electric superstar.

And we don't even have to reach back as far as fellow stud rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III in reflecting on the last No. 2 draft pick to ultimately succumb to the injury bug; just this decade, Chase Young matched similar award-winning highs before he, too, crashed from the core of the organization's future.

Oct 15, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young (99) reacts after a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The star defensive end was left for dead shortly before the Commanders rebooted, with his trade to the San Francisco 49ers coming shortly after the ownership change and predating the front-office overhaul and Daniels' draft selection that have defined the seasons since. Yet here he is, three years later, closely resembling the once-fading prospect who Washington pulled the plug on. What's gone right for him in New Orleans, and should any of his resurgence reflect poorly on the Commanders?

Young's Necessary Restart

New Orleans has to feel smart for investing in Young as a reclamation project, having picked him up on a one-year, $13 million prove-it deal two offseasons ago.

Even now that he's back to haunt quarterbacks on a meaty three-year, $51 million extension, he looks worthy of every defensive snap he plays as one of the more athletic quarterback-hunters in the game.

THE BIG MAN CHASE YOUNG.

📺 #NOvsBAL on CBS pic.twitter.com/4lsy9nuCjU

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 20, 2026

After his first-ever 10-sack season at age 26, he's already notched 1.5 personal takedowns fresh off a strong Week 2 showing against the Baltimore Ravens. He's not quite the focal point of any attack, but the tenacity, brute force, and subtly quick steps that Young's capable of breaking out along the edge have been on full display since his shift to the NFC South.

But this version of Young, a familiar variant of the former Defensive Rookie of the Year, isn't quite who the Commanders envisioned as their fresh star bet during the 2020 NFL Draft.

Back then, he was lauded as a versatile problem-solver capable of getting past professional blockers with a full set of tools and the physical profile to win any matchup. That's just not who he's ever been at football's elite level, nor was he able to maintain that strong level of production as his injuries piled up.

Sep 16, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) kneels before the game against the New York Giants at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Even as a rookie, he failed to show much in the way of moves to put on once the bull-rush technique failed, leaving him out of disruptions should offensive linemen anticipate his angles. So when he tore his ACL as a slipping sophomore, an injury that would go on to limit him to just three games the following season and derail much of the momentum from his rookie year, the hurting athleticism that defined his game further exposed his one-dimensionality.

For a while, he briefly held the status of a journeyman; that lingering disappointment was his legacy. Just because someone's freak athleticism enabled them to dominate at a different level as a prospect doesn't mean those same difference-making skills will translate against the best of the best.

Now that he's finally earned some continuity and trust at his new home down south, he's healed back into the best version of the battering-ram pass rusher he looked like during his Commanders heyday. He's not a Defensive Player of the Year contender, and that's fine; fans who supported him through the franchise's quarterback carousel and name changes can still celebrate his redemption arc while accepting that, though he was brought into Washington during a particularly unstable era, the lows of his rollercoaster arc don't specifically fall on his former team- even if their newest downed lead's similar misfortunes offer shades of the past.

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