Chase Young finally appears to be healthy and back to the dominant player the Washington Commanders selected with the No. 2 overall selection in 2020.
The pass-rushing specialist has put together an impressive individual season despite Washington’s defensive struggles after five games.
Yet still, one NFL writer believes the Commanders should trade the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year ahead of the October 31 deadline.
Losers of three straight, including a shellacking from the previously winless Bears at home in prime time, Washington is in danger of falling into the abyss. With new ownership in town, significant changes could be on the way in the coming months.
The Commanders declined the fifth-year option for the injury-plagued former No. 2 overall pick, which means Young is due to become a free agent after the season. With Washington already heavily invested on the D-line and Montez Sweat also slated to hit free agency in 2024, the club should look to move Chase before the deadline.
Finally healthy, Young’s production could provide a force for a contending club and would net Washington a good return now instead of potentially losing him on the open market in the offseason.
While Patra prefaced the piece by stating he doesn’t believe every player listed will be traded, they are just the names he believes should.
Chase Young Trade Feels Highly Unlikely
Despite his injury history, Young isn’t just another player on Washington’s roster.
He’s by far one of the biggest fan favorites and has cemented his role as one of the main leaders in the Washington locker room. He grew up just outside of D.C.
Much like Terry McLaurin or Jonathan Allen, Chase Young feels like one of the staples of a young franchise trying to right the ship after over two decades of dysfunction under Dan Snyder’s ownership.
Moving Young mid-season in a year where he’s finally producing again would send the Washington fan base into a frenzy. It’s unlikely head coach Ron Rivera or Josh Harris and the new ownership group would sign off on that unless the team loses all of its games between now and October 31.
It would feel like a long shot even then.
As of now, Rivera remains the Commanders’ head coach and he has always expressed the desire to retain Young long-term, even when making the decision to decline his fifth-year option over the summer.
“He gets it, he understands,” Rivera told ESPN about the fifth-year option decision in a piece published back on May 24. “He’ll come in and give everything he’s got. Look what Daron did.”
Rivera is referring to Commanders’ DT Daron Payne. Unlike Young, the Washington big man did have his fifth-year option picked up by the team ahead of the 2022 season, but the Commanders didn’t offer him a new contract extension last offseason leading many to speculate he would be out of D.C. when free agency hit after last year.
Instead, it certainly looked like not offering an early extension motivated Payne who responded with his best NFL season. He closed out 2022 with 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss. Both were, by far, career highs. He also earned a Pro Bowl berth.
The result? The Commanders inked a four-year, $90 million deal with Payne last March to keep him as a core piece on Washington’s defensive front.
While Rivera has the hottest seat of any NFL coach, he remains in charge of the team as of now and it would feel like a stunning move for Washington to trade Young now that he’s on pace to have one of his best NFL campaigns. Ultimately — at least while Rivera is running the team — it appears the plan is to try to re-sign both Young and the other elite edge rusher Montez Sweat, who will be a free agent after 2023.
“Guys that produce for us we want to keep them around,” Rivera said. “That’s been the message. I believe [Young] has adapted to it nicely. He’s working hard. I’ll be excited to see him when he has to be here.”
While Young has recorded just three sacks in the four games he’s played this season, he ranks third in QB pressures according to NFL analyst Brandon Thorn, tied with Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby with 23.
That’s an impressive feat considering Young missed the Week 1 opener so he’s played one less game than those two defensive standouts.
I just charted Chase Young, who had 10 pressures last night. This is how the top 11 in the NFL in pressures looks now in TPS.
Young was the runaway favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year after his 2020 NFL debut where he recorded 44 tackles, 12 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Since then, the former Ohio State star has been plagued by injuries— and before this season—had recorded just 1.5 sacks in only 12 games played for Washington since his breakout rookie campaign.
Rivera & Washington Must Turn Things Around Fast
When Harris and company bought the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder over the summer, it was clear they were going to use this season to evaluate the staff and roster.
Harris deflected early questions about Rivera’s future in Washington but did say, “Ultimately we have to deliver wins on the field.”
Harris and anyone with a pulse on Washington knew Sam Howell’s development would play a major factor, but the first-year NFL starting QB hasn’t been the problem for Washington (2-3).
On paper, Washington’s defense should be one of the top units in the NFL. The Commanders finished third in the league in total defense in 2022 under Rivera and DC Jack Del Rio, now have a healthy Young and didn’t lose any key contributors, yet they have struggled mightily after five games.
Heading into a critical Week 6 road trip to Atlanta, Washington ranks No. 25 in the NFL in total defense, allowing 372.2 yards per game. They are tied with the Arizona Cardinals for fourth-worst in the league for touchdowns allowed this season (16), behind only Denver (22), Chicago (19) and the New York Giants (18).
Following the embarrassing nationally-televised home blowout against a Chicago Bears team that entered last week’s matchup winless, CBS NFL insider Josina Anderson provided insight into Harris making a coaching decision during the 2023 season.
With the #Commanders coming off a 40-20 loss last week to the #Bears on TNF, I’m told as of today*, managing partner Josh Harris’ perspective is to continue to allow things to play out when it comes to potential staff decisions, at this time, per source. Harris is a seasoned…
“I’m told as of today, managing partner Josh Harris’ perspective is to continue to allow things to play out when it comes to potential staff decisions, at this time, per source,” Anderson posted on X on October 9.
“Harris is a seasoned sports owner who is viewed internally as generally patient.”
Still, there has been a palpable energy surrounding the Washington franchise that had been gone for decades under Snyder’s reign.
Every home game has been a sellout.
If Rivera can’t right the ship quickly, Anderson believes there is a concern on how the team’s poor performance could hurt the momentum since the new ownership group took over. She made it clear that Rivera doesn’t have time to waste if he has any hope of keeping his job, and didn’t rule out the possibility of him getting let go mid-season if the team continues to struggle.
“I’m told one of Harris’ biggest concerns now though is the impact an emotional national loss may have on ticket sales–which always has to be taken into account too,” Anderson said.
“Now, while I’m told some of the other limited partners have their own thoughts–and you can read between the lines there– we’ll see how things settle as the season evolves. There is still time for better results, but the clock is ticking.”
The rest of this season will lead to many unanswered questions for Commanders’ fans and the NFL community as a whole.
But even if Rivera and the current staff are fired, it seems more likely than not the franchise will extend Young and keep him in town if he continues to produce at the level he has this season. It isn’t a guarantee and he could absolutely end up with another team in free agency, but a mid-season trade feels highly unlikely for a variety of obvious reasons.
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Chase Young Pitched as Commanders Trade Piece Before NFL Deadline