The Washington Commanders have a big decision to make immediately after the 2023 NFL draft. That decision is whether or not to pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year option.
Head coach Ron Rivera raised eyebrows in February when he said Washington hadn’t made a decision regarding Young’s fifth-year option. During last week’s media session ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, Rivera was asked again about the option, and all he offered was the date of when the Commanders needed to make a decision [May 2].
What if the Commanders have already made a decision?
Washington opened up the voluntary offseason program last week, and Young was in attendance. That surely pleased Rivera, who, along with his coaching staff, was upset when Young skipped portions of the 2021 offseason program after winning the 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year award.
With Young showing up and having a clean bill of health, is that enough for Rivera to pick up the option?
Surely, Rivera wouldn’t drag this out if he didn’t plan on picking up the option.
Or would he?
Young’s option would be guaranteed at over $17 million for 2024 if picked up. Fellow starting defensive end Montez Sweat is a free agent after the upcoming season. If the Commanders decline Young’s option, both of their former first-round defensive ends will be free agents in 2024.
There could be another possibility for Washington.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus named five defensive players who could be traded during the 2023 NFL draft. Young was one of those five players.
This one may be a bit of a stretch, but with the fifth-year option deadline for 2020 first-round picks on May 1 rapidly approaching — the Monday after the draft — perhaps Washington will let another team make the very difficult decision of whether to fully guarantee $17.452 million for Young in 2024.
Washington has now extended interior defenders Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, and edge defender Montez Sweat is entering his fifth-year option season in 2023 coming off a season in which he earned a career-high 79.6 pass-rush grade with 62 total quarterback pressures, also a top mark of his young career. Chase Young arguably has a higher ceiling than Sweat once healthy, but is Washington comfortable with Sweat’s high floor and willing to be proactive in getting out ahead of potentially paying all four players?
If other teams are comfortable with Young’s medical situation after he missed considerable time with a knee injury, would they bring him aboard during the draft, exercise his fifth-year option and see what he offers in 2023 before entertaining an extension? Teams such as the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans, among many others, would have to at least consider it.
I agree with Spielberger’s opening statement. I find Washington trading Young very unlikely. Young still has superstar potential. So it behooves the Commanders to give him a fully healthy season to show them he can be the player they expected when selecting him No. 2 overall in 2020.
Rivera mentioned in February about motivating Young. Perhaps dragging out his option decision until the last minute is that motivation as it gives the Commanders more time to evaluate Young’s knee.
As for what Washington should do? There are strong cases from both perspectives on picking up — or declining — the fifth-year option.