Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera raised eyebrows this offseason when he hinted that Washington might not pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year option.
The 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year has just 1.5 sacks since the end of the 2020 season. Of course, part of that is due to Young injuring his knee midway through the 2021 season and not returning until late in the 2022 season.
Young’s knee injury was more severe than an ACL only, which pushed back his return to the field. But when Young did return in Week 16, he looked like his explosive self on the field.
But if Washington were to pick up Young’s fifth-year option for 2024, it would cost over $17 million. For a player with 1.5 sacks over two seasons and coming off a significant injury, it’s understandable that the Commanders may want to see more.
It’s not a surprise that Washington would take time to make this decision, but it was a surprise that Rivera said so publicly. The Commanders had nothing to gain by stating so publicly.
General manager Martin Mayhew was asked about Young at the NFL owners meetings Monday.
“We’re still talking about that,” Mayhew said, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. “We have a number of things to work through. We’re getting through the first part of the agency right now. We’re still in draft preparations. We have until May to make that decision. We’ll make the appropriate decision at the right time.”
The Commanders have until May 1 to make a decision. With just over four weeks until the 2023 NFL draft, expect the Commanders to wait until afterward before deciding on Young’s option.