Of all the players the Washington Commanders have cut loose in the last few years, there might be 1 who stands above all others in terms of wishing he was still on the roster.
That player would be New Orleans Saints edge rusher Chase Young, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Young has finally come into his own over the last few years in New Orleans, and Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker predicts Young is about to make another major leap in 2026 when he’s named NFL All-Pro for the 1st time.
Young had a career-high 10.0 sacks in just 12 games in 2025.
“Young has put his prodigious skill on display before, claiming Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020 while with Washington,” Locker wrote. “Injuries and poor performance have led him askew since, but that changed in a big way last season. Although Young didn’t play until Week 6 because of a calf issue, he racked up 49 pressures and 35 hurries across only 10 games … Staying on the field will be the foremost priority for Young. But there’s no denying that the former second overall pick has the talent to be one of the game’s most disruptive pass-rushers. Playing on a New Orleans team that’s ascending going into this season could also help attract more recognition.”
Chase Young Shook Off Criticism of New Contract
One big talking point about Young, heading into the 2025 season, was how badly the Saints messed up by signing him to a 3-year, $51 million contract after he played for them in 2024 on a 1-year, $13 million contract.
In 2024, Young played in 17 games with no starts and finished with 31 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 8 TFL as the Saints finished the season with a 5-12 record and missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox put Young’s new deal at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Biggest Contract Blunders” in July 2025.
In his first 5 seasons, Young has never finished above 27th in the NFL in sacks.
“It was strange to see Young get that sort of deal this offseason following another good-not-great season,” Knox wrote on July 21. “What made this a poor decision by New Orleans, though, was its cap situation … Given Young’s injury history and the state of the Saints franchise, his extension represented a very unnecessary risk. Young is only 26 years old and still has the potential to develop into a dependable starter, but New Orleans’ money would have been better spent elsewhere.”
Young Flamed Out Fast With Commanders
Young started his career off like a rocket ship with 7.5 sacks in 2020 as he helped lead the Commanders to a playoff appearance as a rookie.
Following a torn ACL suffered in Week 10 of the 2021 regular season, Young missed 22 of the next 25 regular-season games, including all but 3 games in 2022. It was a 2-season stretch in which he had just 1.5 sacks.
Young revamped his career in 2023 with 7.5 sacks while playing for both the Commanders and the San Francisco 49ers after a midseason trade, and was a role player as the 49ers made it to the Super Bowl.
Commanders Former 1st Round Pick Predicted as First Time NFL All-Pro