Edge rusher Chase Young was just acquired by the New Orleans Saints in free agency. Shortly after the news was made public, it became known that Young will be having neck surgery.
Young underwent the surgery last week, and while he should be ready for the regular season to begin, he will miss training camp.
Dennis Allen, the head coach of the Saints, discussed Young’s circumstances this week and appears to be completely at ease with the youthful pass rusher going into 2024.
John DeShazier of the Saints’ official club website reported that Allen stated, “We knew that he was going to have this surgery.” The good news, in my opinion, for everyone concerned was that, according to everyone we spoke with, there is no doubt that he will recover and be OK. The only question was when. Because of this, I believe that although we are at ease with the timelines we have, the human body still exists. It will recover at a pace that suits it. However, I am confident that he will make every effort to prepare and regain himself as soon as possible.
The Washington Commanders originally selected Young with the second overall choice of the 2020 NFL Draft. Young played collegiate football at Ohio State.
In route to a Pro Bowl appearance, he had an outstanding first season, recording 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a defensive score.
But Young only played nine games the next season before rupturing his ACL. Due to his recuperation, he only participated in three competitions in 2021. In those two years, he accumulated a total of 1.5 sacks.
After recording five sacks in his first seven games with the Commanders last season, Young looked to be headed for a successful comeback season. However, at the trade deadline, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
He only recorded 2.5 sacks in nine games with the 49ers, a dramatic decline in his output.
Although Chase Young’s track record of injuries and lackluster play in general are worrying, the Saints are just signing him for a single season.
