Commanders DE Chase Young 'Under Pressure' in Final Year of Contract

Chase Young faces the biggest year of his Washington Commanders career in 2023.

Jeremy Brener | May 24, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have a lot of pressure to succeed in 2023.

There's a new owner in town and there has been a lot invested in this group ... but it could all come crashing down if the 2023 season doesn't end up how Washington wants it to. Among the players with the most to lose is former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young, who didn't show up at OTA's. Young had his fifth-year option declined by the team earlier this offseason.

Bleacher Report identified Young as one of the 10 players in the NFL under the most pressure to succeed in the 2023 season.

"However, given that decision and the fact trade rumors have swirled around Young for weeks, it appears that Washington has all but decided to move on," Bleacher Report writes. "And that puts Young's career at a crossroads—and ratchets up the pressure to get back to 2020 form."

In his first three years in the NFL, Young has never completed an entire season, with his best return coming in his rookie campaign, which saw him play 15 games and register 7.5 sacks. Over the last two seasons, 12 games and 1.5 sacks don't scream a big contract.

If he plays more like the rookie version of himself, Young will make similar money in free agency next spring. The Commanders could even use the franchise tag on him, which is worth around $19 million this season.

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Published May 24, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.