The Washington Commanders have a big decision to make soon. No, we aren’t talking about who Washington will pick in the first round, but what’s to come after the 2023 NFL draft.
May 2 is Washington’s deadline to decide if it will pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year option for 2024. It’s amazing we are even at this point, considering Young was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020.
However, a significant knee injury cost Young part of the 2021 season and all but three games of the 2022 season. Since his 2020 rookie season, Young has had 1.5 sacks in 12 games. Therefore, deciding to pick up his fifth-year option at over $17 million in 2024 isn’t the slam dunk it once was.
Head coach Ron Rivera made waves earlier this offseason when he declared the team hasn’t decided yet on Young’s fifth-year option. If Washington declines Young’s fifth-year option, both Young and fellow defensive end Montez Sweat would be unrestricted free agents in 2024.
On Tuesday, after being honored for winning the USAA Salute to Service award, Rivera spoke on what will go into this decision.
“That’s the thing that will drive a big part of the conversation,” Rivera said, courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. “As we continue to work through this and talk about it, it will be about seeing him and watching him. Again, we get started on April 17, so we’ll continue to work through these things — talk to the doctors, talk to the trainers, strength and medical, and just kind of get a feel for where he is. Then we’ll be able to make a decision, and we’ll go from there.”
From all indications, Young looks 100% healthy. In those three games he played in late last season, he looked like his old explosive self on the field. It was encouraging.
If you read between the lines of what Rivera said, it sounds as if the head coach wants to see Young in attendance at the team’s voluntary portion of the offseason program. In 2021, Rivera and the coaching staff was not happy that Young skipped that part of the offseason, even though it was voluntary. Remember, he was voted as a team captain.
If Young reports with the rest of his teammates on April 17, it could go a long way in the team deciding to pick up that fifth-year option. However, this is a complicated decision. For a player with Young’s skills, picking up the option is an easy call. But it’s not that simple, and it has nothing to do with the injury. Young’s production before the injury makes this decision more difficult.