The Washington Commanders have a big decision to make over the next two weeks. No, it’s not about the next owner, a new stadium, or even who the Commanders will take in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Will Washington pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year option?
NFL teams have until May 1 — right after the draft — to pick up the fifth-year options on 2020 first-round draft picks.
This would have once been considered a no-brainer, but the past two seasons haven’t gone as planned for Young. In fairness to the 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year, he suffered a significant knee injury in Nov. 2021 that wiped out the second half of that season and all but three games in 2022.
Unfortunately for Young, he wasn’t exactly lighting it up in the nine games before his injury in 2021. He had 1.5 sacks in those nine games and had upset Washington’s coaching staff by skipping portions of the team’s voluntary offseason program in the spring of 2021.
Head coach Ron Rivera said in February that the Commanders were still considering a decision on his fifth-year option. He cited the knee injury being a part of the decision, but Young has a clean bill of health and looked explosive toward the end of last season.
One thing Rivera was trying to say: He wanted Young present for the team’s offseason program, which began on Monday.
As the players reported to Ashburn Monday, Young was present, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic.
Update: Chase Young is at the facility. https://t.co/Wd06qrpWIO
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) April 17, 2023
There are merits to picking up Young’s fifth-year option and also merits to not picking up the option. Regardless, Washington is happy to have Young in town with his teammates for the start of the offseason program.