It’s been almost a calendar year since former Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young saw the field for the Washington Commanders. Having been recently activated off injured reserve, the team has made its decision on Young for Week 9.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said that despite a “very good week” for Young, he will not play this week against the Minnesota Vikings. Rivera said that the team still needs to ensure that his conditioning is right and that there are other things he needs to work on.
Young has not played in an NFL game since Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season. He suffered a major ACL tear in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that necessitated grafting part of his patellar tendon from his other knee.
To date, Young has 9.0 sacks, 70 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 16 QB hits in 25 games. He earned Pro Bowl and Rookie of the Year honors in 2020.
Chase Young was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft following an historic career at Ohio State that saw him finish fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Young’s impact was immediate, with most of his aforementioned production coming in 15 games en route to Washington winning the NFC East title.
But Young’s injury preceded a 7-10 finish that saw their defense go from ranking top five in 2020 to bottom 10 in 2021. Right now, the Commanders defense ranks right in the middle of the pack and they’re on a three-game winning streak because of it.
Will Young return to the team this month?