Getty Chase Young with Nick Bosa.
The Washington Commanders traded Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick during the 2023 season. Young, who was once regarded as one of the top defensive players in football after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career. Those injuries have slowed Young down as he hasn’t reached that level of production since.
When the 49ers traded for him, the hope was that he could be another elite pass rusher next to former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa. However, Young, while staying healthy, struggled for much of the 9 games he played for the team. Prior to the trade, he recorded 5 sacks for the Commanders. Young had just 2.5 sacks during his time with the 49ers. Despite the struggles, there’s a level of interest in the 49ers re-signing Young, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.
“The 49ers have at least some interest in bringing back edge rusher Chase Young, who was a bit of a disappointment for them after their deadline deal to acquire him from Washington but is still just 24 and has a great relationship with star 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa. (They were college teammates.)
“Young might end up having to take a one-year prove-it deal, be it from San Francisco or someone else, but there are enough teams still intrigued by the 2020 No. 2 overall pick’s potential.”
There’s Still Potential for the Former Commanders No. 2 Pick
With Young showing throughout parts of his early career, this is a good opportunity for a team to get a potential steal on the free agent market.
Graziano writes that Young could sign a one-year prove-it deal, making it an even better idea for a team to take a risk on the soon-to-be 25-year-old.
The injuries have been a concern but if Young can give a team any of what he was able to give the Washington Commanders in his rookie season, they’ll be more than content with his production. Whether he can be that type of player or not remains to be seen as that hasn’t been the case since that rookie season.
Even with the 5 sacks in 7 games for the Commanders, the explosiveness and athleticism weren’t the same as it was during his rookie year. That was proven to be true with the San Francisco 49ers.
However, Young’s struggles with the 49ers could’ve been due to changing teams in the middle of the season and playing for a new team for the first time in his career.
Commanders Traded Young at the Perfect Time
The Washington Commanders have made many wrong moves during the past few years. Under new ownership, their job is to fix many of the mistakes that former owners have.
The first step for them was moving Young, who, in hindsight, was traded at the perfect time. Considering he needed a new contract this offseason, trading him when they did was the ideal time.
It’s unfortunate that the relationship ended the way it did after having as promising as a start as any player could have, but it’s a part of the business.
Young will enter free agency for the first time in his career with an opportunity to sign with a new team or re-sign with the San Francisco 49ers. Hopefully, he can continue to stay healthy and be one of the best defensive players in football like he was expected to be.