The New Orleans Saints are an NFL team on the rise.
That’s in part because they helped turn around the career of former Ohio State Buckeyes star Chase Young.
Young has gone from a player who some viewed as a once-upon-a-time draft bust to a guy whose contract can now be viewed as a bargain.
In fact, The Sporting News ranked Young as being the “biggest bargain” defensive end contract in the entire NFL.
Chase Young Contract
Young is on a contract with an annual average value of $17 million. That’s weighted by a heavy 2027 cap hit — in 2026, Young’s cap hit is just $9.6 million. In the realm of talented edge rushers, that is indeed a bargain.
“The price of pass-rushers has skyrocketed of late,” writes SN’s Dan Treacy. “In an offseason that saw Jaelan Phillips receive $30 million annually, Nick Herbig get $25 million and Odafe Oweh secure $24 million, a $17 million price tag for Chase Young is nothing.”
Young didn’t always seem likely to reach these heights after his NFL career hit some bumps.
But in 2025, he proved he can be a star for the Saints.
“The Saints got a really nice year out of the former No. 2 pick in 2025, with Young putting up 10 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles after he started to prove he was back with 21 quarterback hits in 2024,” Treacy writes. “The injury history is a concern, but Young is just as productive than most of the pass-rushers making between $17-25 million per year.”
Young played in all 17 games in his first season with the Saints, in 2024, when he had 5.5 sacks.
So for him to put up 10.0 sacks and force a pair of fumbles while notching the most tackles he’s had since his rookie season (38) in just 12 games is quite the feat.
Chase Young’s Career Revival
Young was one of those guys who was an absolutely sure thing coming out of Ohio State.
Washington picked him with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Young was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, putting up 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles and four forced fumbles.
Injuries limited him to nine games in 2021 and three games in 2022, though, and so it wasn’t clear he’d ever reach his full potential.
He was shipped to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2023 season, but after just 2.5 sacks in nine games there, the ‘Niners chose not to keep Young.
That set the Saints up to snag him before the 2024 season, and it now looks like a great move for New Orleans.
Young will play the entire season ahead at 27 years old. He’s still very much in his prime.
He has a $26 million cap hit for next season, but after a couple of seasons of being paid at a bargain level, Young will likely be worth that, too.
Whether the Saints need a few more years to build or whether it’ll come fast and furious this season, Young has been a key part of helping to turn things around in New Orleans.
Saints Get $17 Million ‘Biggest Bargain’ Contract Verdict