Commanders Decline Chase Young Option; Trade Coming?

The Washington Commanders declined to pick up Chase Young's fifth-year option, leading to a potential trade of the former No. 2 overall pick.

Chase Young's career as a member of the Washington Commanders is now at a crossroads. 

After news dropped that Washington would not pick up his fifth-year option, Young now has to show he is worthy of a big payday.

This move worked wonders for Daron Payne last season, as the Commanders did the same. Payne had career-highs in sacks (11.5), quarterback hits (20), and tackles for loss (18).

Young, who was coming off an ACL injury last year, played the season's last three games. However, his playing time increased after each game, a promising sign that his injury is behind him. But just how important is Young now?

It's possible that the Commanders could look to trade Young to a team looking to take a risk on the former No. 2 overall pick. That's exactly what the Atlanta Falcons did when trading for Jeff Okudah, the player drafted immediately after Young, earlier this month.

After a rookie campaign that yielded 7.5 sacks from his 16 games and an All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year nod, Young followed that up with just 1.5 sacks in nine games in his second season before injury struck.

So now he enters the final year of his contract, needing to impress the Commanders coaching staff in order to garner a significant contract next offseason.

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

Follow Adam Schultz on Twitter

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the SI.com team page here