Rumored to be on the fence about Chase Young‘s fifth-year option, the Commanders look set to put the former No. 2 overall pick in a contract year. They are not planning to pick up Young’s option, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
Because Young is a one-time Pro Bowler, his 2024 option would cost Washington $17.45MM. Since that rookie-year honor, however, Young ran into a complicated ACL injury that sidetracked his career. Young returned to action late last season, but more uncertainty exists regarding the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s trajectory compared to where it stood after the 2020 campaign.
[RELATED: 2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
This will set up one of the more interesting contract years in recent memory. Young finished second in the 2019 Heisman balloting and was viewed as the consensus best non-quarterback in the 2020 draft. Young lived up to that billing as a rookie, helping lead Washington to an unexpected division title — albeit at 7-9 — by anchoring a defensive line loaded with first-round picks. But Young has since missed 22 games.
Young, who turned 24 this month, is believed to have suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in addition to an ACL tear in November 2021. This turn of events led to the Commanders holding off on redeploying him until Week 16 of last season. While other players who suffered ACL tears during the 2021 season debuted in Week 1 or early last year, Young lost nearly 1 1/2 seasons because of his setback. The injury and lengthy rehab process will force Young to prove his value in 2023.
Although Young registered 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles as a rookie, he tallied just 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in nine games before suffering his seminal injury in 2021. Last season, Young logged 115 defensive snaps and one QB hit. Expected to be much healthier in 2023, Young is on track to be full-go in Week 1. That said, it is understandable the organization is expressing some caution regarding a $17MM-plus Young guarantee.
The Commanders are expected to be sold soon, but it is not yet known who will be the new owner. Josh Harris remains in the lead, as the NFL has reviewed the 76ers owner’s bid. But at least one other buyer remains in the mix. That uncertainty may well have affected Young, given the expense here. Had Young not been voted to the 2020 Pro Bowl (when COVID-19 nixed the actual game), his limited participation in the 2021 and ’22 seasons would have knocked him down to the fourth tier of the option structure ($12.14MM). The higher cost coupled with ownership instability may have impacted the team’s thinking here.
This decision will mean Washington will have picked up the fifth-year options for Montez Sweat, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen but not Young. Given Young’s draft status compared to his D-line mates, it is fascinating he has a chance to hit free agency a year earlier. The Commanders extended Allen and did not let Payne hit the market this year, franchise-tagging him after a breakthrough fifth-year option season. Sweat is heading into his option year, which sits at $11.5MM. Young’s fourth-year cap number checks in at $10.99MM.
Allen and Payne are attached to big-ticket extensions — at $18MM and $22.5MM per year, respectively — but the team suddenly does not have long-term plans at defensive end. Sweat and Young going into contract years at the same time may put the franchise to an either/or call, with only one franchise tag available in 2024. Barring an extension before that point, one of the Commanders’ two D-end starters could be auditioning for another team this season.
It never made sense for Washington to invest all those high picks on the defensive line – as when it comes time to pay them in year 4 or 5 it hamstrings your ability to find the money for the necessary skill position players.
Isn’t that true no matter what position they play? The current structure punishes teams that draft well when your draft class becomes eligible for their second contracts. Salary cap sucks.
If you draft well, then everyone doesn’t need a second contract.
You mean, if you draft well every year?! Yeah, that would be awesome. Just get 11 new starters every year! Every team should do that! I wonder why they don’t?
Not worth the effort tbh
Yeah. That seems hard.
not bothering with an obvious troll
Yeah, Trolls are scary. They eat goats and live under bridges. I think they might be misunderstood, though. I wasn’t trolling you, dawg. I think salary caps are BS and force teams to part ways with players that they would like to otherwise keep. Sucks for the players and the fans who enjoying supporting players on their teams and following the careers of players that are on their teams. Starts to be routing for a jersey and not players. IMO, not as much fun. Getting a new roster every 4 years so as not to have to pay any second contracts. That is what college football is for.
Comments closed for High altitude
At no point was a roster turn over mentioned. If you can read, it says NOT everyone, keyword is not. Teams do not let superstars go, as the cap is not a hard cap and franchise tags exist. 11 starters every year? Idk where you learned math, but there are 22 starters, so even if it was mentioned(it wasnt) that a team needed to pay no second contracts, they would not need to pick them all every year, but the whole idea of the “not everone needs a second contract” is very basic… Not everyone needs one, better players that are cheaper due to their status will come along and be selected. The core will get second contracts (2-3 times as expensive) and fringe players, such as young, will be let go. The NFL has full revenue sharing, and the cap exists to make sure the owners get their cut, not to help small market teams as in baseball. The system that exists, and any other feasible system always rewards teams that draft well. There is no other way to do it.
There are other ways to do it. The salary cap exists to make sure owners don’t get into bidding wars with each other. Evaluating and drafting talent should always be rewarded. The current system forces teams to part ways with contributing players that they drafted so that teams that can’t evaluate and draft properly can pick those players up. I understand the process. Teams give 25 percent of their cap to a QB and then watch the rest of the roster deteriorate. As a football fan, I would like to see Mahomes and Hill still teaming up, rather than seeing him shipped out in a cap saving move and Mahomes and the Chiefs not being able to resign even Smith-Schuster.
The Cheifs reloaded and won a superbowl without hill and should be competitive for years to come. To prove your point, I would not have selected the best team that proves mine…
Hmmm…my point wasn’t that Mahomes couldn’t slug his way to a championship, but that I would rather see the Mahomes/Hill connection as a football fan than Mahomes and the Bad News Bears. Only one $50 QB has won a SB and as Mahomes cap number rises, the chances of repeating goes down. I think the more likely outcome than the Chiefs winning the SB for the next decade is the Green Bay Aaron Rodgers story. Mahomes will carry an average roster to the playoffs and win an MVP award, and then get bounced by a lesser QB with a better roster. I’m not saying that I am right, but I think the trend is more 49ers/Seahawks strong roster serviceable QB. Either way, teams are forced into these decisions by the stupid cap.
Lark….how many 50 million dollar quarterbacks have been in the Super Bowl? None at the time
No QB has an AAV above 50 million, Mahomes cap hit was 38MM last year, but yes I would not expect the Cheifs to be there every year, but the Cheifs (or anyone) will be contenders as long as they draft well. Drafting gives a team cheap control over ascending talent. All of that is key. Free agents may be good, but they are not cheap. Any draftee is cheap, but not all are good. It takes a special Gm/ staff to draft and develop a core then maintain it while adding role players via short term FA deals and the draft. Dallas has tried to keep its stars and zekes deal is the perfect example of letting the draft keep the roster young. Pollard is better but not the star. Next year he will he on tag 2, or more likely leave an it will be up to Jones to find a replacement who being cheap will offer more value than pollard can.
Those draft picks will be late first rounders. Hard to stay competitive. Especially if any of those late first rounders are misses.
Rodgers and Hurts over 50 AAV. Wilson 48, Murray 46, Watson 46. Some money is paid out in bonuses. $50 million was a generalization. But the Chiefs are already talking about more money for Mahomes, who I already identified as an outlier. The rest of these teams are dumpster fires and would be drafting in the top 12 of the draft if they hadn’t traded their picks to acquire their albatross QB contract in the first place.
You missed h8s point. He said everyone doesn’t need a 2nd contract, but some you would. Contracts are 4-5 years so if you can draft 3 eventual starters every year, you should be fine. Don’t be a troll
Was never trolling. I’m too old for that. I understand the point just fine. Not only that, but I think we agree if that was the point being made. If a team using 7 draft picks (typical draft picks in a year without trades) at the back end of the NFL because they have a $50 million QB produces 3 starters, then they will be fine. If they miss, they will not be fine. It is hard to get 50% success rate at the top of the draft. I’m not trolling. My opinion of roster building is more risk averse.
“It never made sense for Washington to invest all those high picks on the defensive line”
That makes no sense. Offensive and defensive line is where every team, especially rebuilding ones like Washington, should start. The front line is where games are won and lost. A good defensive line can make even the best QBs look bad. I say this as a Giants fan because our last two Super Bowls were in large part due to the defensive line giving Tom Brady fits.
100% Lineman are involved every down. Without them, nothing happens. Without skill players it isnt pretty, but you can still win.
I haven’t fact checked myself on this but I feel like most good teams have a big QB contract, 1 top WR, and a high priced Tackle. Then find deals at RB, and the rest of the offence.
Then same sort of deal on D, with a high priced pass rusher and DB and then deals elsewhere.
The great teams seem to pick the right 5-6 big contracts to build around and consistently get value on rookie deals.
That is one way to try it. I listed the top AAV QBs above. They are mostly dumpster fires drafting in the top 15, not great teams. Just check into how many teams are going to SB with a QB on a rookie deal and the extra money spent building a championship roster. The Eagles and 49ers, both built that way, were playing in the NFC championship game. The year before, it was the Bengals. Before that, it was Mahomes on a rookie deal twice. And a little before that It was Seattle with RW on a rookie deal and a crazy good roster twice in a row. The times RW, Mahomes, and the Goff on a rookie deal lead Rams lost it was to T.Brady. If you don’t have TB12, you better get a QB on a rookie/reasonable contract.
god this debate between larkraxm and jp8 might be the stupidest battle of words I’ve ever seen on this site
Are you new to this site? I’ve seen much worse!
Won’t be surprised if he’s traded during the draft ..
I would! He hasn’t played in a year and a half. He is worth about a 5th round pick. Washington has to see if he can come back before they trade him for nothing.
Smart play would be to send Young and their 1st round pick to move up and get a QB. But Ron hates drafting QB’s early, less Cam.
If the Commanders don’t want Young, then why would any other team give up draft capital to acquire him? The smart play is to get as many picks for next year as possible so that they can draft Caleb Williams.
You know some team will trade for him. And he’ll most certainly be picked up as a FA. I don’t follow the trade values and all that. But it’s clear Ron is allergic to drafting QB’s high.
I do like your idea collecting picks for next year for the new GM, & HC.
Come to the Niners and pair him with Bosa!
Been riding 7.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles as a “questionable” ROY (really) status since he debuted…..physically, he’s a real gamble given that 2019 stats may represent his best that’s not in question due to physical issues……smart play by the Commanders in not picking up his 5 year option….new management will make him perform for the money…..
17.45 million on the fifth year option?! Does not require a genius to turn that down.
How long before there will be a provision for teams with a player coming back from injury, or *cough cough* a QB who has barely played, to extend the deadline until say, 6 games into the season before having to decide on the 5th year option?
Somebody will trade for him during the draft for sure, might not be worth risking 17 mil guaranteed today but a team without big free agent questions after the season can take the gamble, I would gladly take him as an expiring and try to work out a contract if he plays up to his previous standard, second team has no draft value attached to him except whatever is given up in a trade
There is more to this Chase Young story… A LOT more and it ain’t good. It will be public soon enough.
ah dont wry guys, Bryzzo2016 is on the case, he knows something that we mortals don’t know.