Best and Worst-Case Scenarios For Saints’ Chase Young

The New Orleans Saints weren’t at full strength in Week 1 when they took on the Arizona Cardinals.

New Orleans put up a good fight against Arizona, but ended up losing, 20-13. One of the biggest bright spots for the Saints in the game was the team’s pass rush. The Saints contained Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray well. He had just 163 passing yards and 38 rushing yards while getting sacked five times in the game. What makes this performance even more impressive is the fact that it was done without one of the team’s best pass rushers in Chase Young.

The 26-year-old missed the game due to a calf injury he suffered last week. It’s going to be interesting to see how the injury plays out. On Sept. 3rd, NFL insider Jordan Schultz called the injury “calf tightness.”

“Sources: Saints DE Chase Young left practice today with a calf injury that was described to me as “calf tightness.” Young underwent tests and everything checked out fine,” Schultz said. “The injury is not considered serious.”

Anything with a calf is worth watching, though. He missed the first game of the season and his status is still up in the air for Week 2.

Here are the best and worst-case scenarios for Chase Young:

Will Chase Young return Week 2?

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) looks on against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

BEST:
This is pretty obvious. The best-case scenario is that Young is healthy and is ready to roll on Sunday when the Saints take on the San Francisco 49ers. There are always at least some questions about his health after missing a lot of time early in his career. But, he’s been healthier over the last few years than you’d think. He played 17 games last year and 16 the year before. On Thursday, he made it clear that he feels good and isn’t worried, as transcribed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

“I feel good, very good. I feel good, that's all I'm going to say," Young said. He also said “Hell no” when asked if it is a long-term issue.

So, the best option is he is back on Sunday.

WORST:
The worst-case scenario here is that the calf isn’t as healthy as Young thought towards the end of last week. Again, these are tricky injuries and if not treated properly, can lead to Achilles injuries. Look at Christian McCaffrey last year, for example. He had a calf injury that initially didn’t seem too bad and he played just four games in 2024. The worst-case scenario would be something like that. Plus, it doesn't help that he was not spotted at practice on Wednesday.

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