Chase Young

It appears Chase Young's list of suitors in free agency was not very long.

According to Albert Breer of MMQB, scans on Young's neck injury "made it tough to find a suitor" in free agency before he landed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New Orleans Saints.

"No one would clear him on his physical," Breer added. "The condition was initially found after he had a stinger last year vs. the Browns in preseason."

Breer also noted that Young's neck condition impacted his trade market during the 2023 season before he was traded from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Young would have surgery on the injury and would be ready for the start of the regular season.

While Young's contract with the Saints is worth $13 million, the franchise structured the deal in a way that will save it money if he doesn't play in all 17 games next season.

Young receives $5.01 million guaranteed and will receive a roster bonus of $470,000 per each game he suits up for, according to Matthew Paras of NOLA.com. The $7.99 million is reportedly fully guaranteed if he's released, per Paras.

The 24-year-old has been limited by injuries throughout his NFL career, but the neck ailment was noticed after he suffered a stinger during a preseason game with the Commanders ahead of the 2023 campaign.

The stinger resulted in Young missing Washington's Week 1 matchup with a neck injury, though he returned for Week 2 and still appeared in 16 games.

Young was traded from the Commanders to 49ers after Washington's Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He became a free agent after the season after having his fifth-year option declined by the Commanders.

Young finished the season having posted 7.5 sacks, two passes defended, 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits. He was more effective in San Francisco, recording five sacks, one pass defended, 15 tackles, six tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in seven games.

Prior to the 2023 season, Young was limited to just 12 games between 2021 and 2022 with the Commanders due to a torn ACL.

If the 2020 No. 2 overall pick can stay healthy in 2024, he figures to be a key piece of the New Orleans defense alongside Cam Jordan, Payton Turner and Carl Granderson.

Chase Young's tenure in the Big Easy appears to be off to a rough start.

Young, who signed his one-year, $13 million deal with the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday, is undergoing surgery on his neck injury and is expected to be sidelined into training camp, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"The expectation is that he will return in time for the season," Schefter added. "Teams were aware of his neck issue, and the Saints were comfortable moving ahead with it."

Young, who was selected by the Washington Commanders second overall in the 2020 draft, has been limited by injuries throughout his career.

The 24-year-old most recently suffered a stinger during a 2023 preseason game and missed Washington's season opener with a neck injury. He returned for Week 2 and ended up playing 16 games.

Washington traded Young to the San Francisco 49ers after a Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He became a free agent this offseason with the Commanders having declined his fifth-year option.

Young posted 7.5 sacks, two passes defended, 25 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits between the Commanders and 49ers last season.

He was much more effective for the NFC champion Niners, posting five sacks, one pass defended, 15 tackles, six tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in seven games.

Prior to the 2023 season, Young missed one game as a rookie due to a groin injury and was limited to just 12 games between the 2021 and 2022 seasons after tearing his ACL.

Young's injury history is likely part of the reason he was signed to a "prove your worth" type of contract versus a long-term deal. If he has a successful 2024 season, he should be among the top pass rushers on the market next offseason.

The Saints will be hoping Young can stay healthy during the 2024 season after his neck heals from surgery. He's expected to improve the team's pass rush alongside Cam Jordan, Payton Turner and Carl Granderson.

Chase Young is on the verge of finding a new home with the New Orleans Saints.

Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Saints are expected to get a deal done with Young.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Young will receive $13 million fully guaranteed for one year.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reported Young was visiting with the Saints on Monday after having to reschedule it from last week.

Young had his best season since winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. He set a career high with 15 quarterback hits and tied his career high with 7.5 sacks in 16 games between the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers.

With Young coming off two injury-plagued years in 2021 and 2022, the Commanders elected not to exercise the fifth-year option in his rookie deal.

Washington's front office made the decision to sell ahead of the trade deadline, leading to Young being dealt to the 49ers on Nov. 1 in exchange for a 2024 third-round draft pick.

San Francisco used Young primarily as a rotation player. He didn't start in any of his nine regular-season games with the team and only played more than 70 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams when most of the regulars were held out.

Young had two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and one sack in the 49ers' postseason run. His sack was against Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

Even though Young hasn't lived up to what was expected of him as the No. 2 overall pick, he's been a productive pass-rusher when his body has allowed him to play. He's had 7.5 sacks in each of the two seasons he's appeared in at least 10 games.

The torn ACL and patellar tendon Young suffered midway through the 2021 season kept him out for 13 months before he returned for the final three games of the 2022 campaign.

There's certainly some risk involved with this deal, but finding an edge-rusher with Young's ability at this still-young point in his career is incredibly rare. He will play the entire 2024 season at the age of 25.

Now that Young appears to be completely back from that injury, there are reasons for New Orleans to be optimistic he can hit another gear.

The Saints are never not trying to compete for a playoff spot, so it's not a surprise to see them take a swing on Young reaching his full potential.

While there were several reasons to explain why New Orleans missed the playoffs last season, one of the biggest was its lack of a standout pass-rusher.

Per ESPN's pass-rush win rate metric, the Saints ranked 31st in the NFL. The only team they were ahead of was the Atlanta Falcons. Carl Granderson and Demario Davis were the only players on the defense with more than five sacks.

Young hasn't proved himself to be the game-changer many expected him to be when he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2020, but his upside is greater than anyone else the Saints have on their defensive line.

If defensive coordinator Joe Woods can harness Young's natural ability and translate it into consistent performance, the Saints will have added one of the biggest free-agent bargains this offseason.

Free-agent edge-rusher Chase Young is planning to visit the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints this week, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

Young finished out the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers following his trade from the Washington Commanders. ESPN's Dan Graziano reported on March 3 that the Niners "have at least some interest" in a reunion, but that ship has probably sailed after they agreed to deals with Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos.

All three teams make sense for Young.

The Saints tied for the fourth-fewest sacks (34) in 2023, with Cameron Jordan posting his lowest total (two) since his rookie year. Edge-rusher is one of New Orleans' biggest points of emphasis and might be at the top of the list.

The Panthers likewise have a glaring need for pass-rushing help after not only losing Gross-Matos to free agency but also reportedly trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants. The cupboard is now pretty bare in Carolina and the team has a lot of cash to burn in finding some reinforcements.

Tennessee, meanwhile, watched sack leader Denico Autry reportedly agree to a deal with the NFC South rival Houston Texans. Two-time Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons was disappointed to see Autry go:

Signing Young could be a high-risk venture, though, especially if he manages to get a sizable chunk of change on his next contract.

The 24-year-old made an immediate impact in Washington, making the Pro Bowl and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. However, he hasn't been the same player since tearing his right ACL in 2021.

Even more so than trading Young to San Francisco, the Commanders' decision to decline his fifth-year option was a telling indicator as to how he hasn't panned out as expected.

The 2020 first-round pick probably has a long career ahead as a situational pass-rusher, but he may never fulfill the promise that led him to be selected second overall. It will be interesting to see if he's going to get paid like that this offseason or if a team goes beyond that in the belief he can still hit a new level on the field.