Commanders' Ron Rivera Hopes Chase Young Will Have Daron Payne-Type Season

Daron Payne earned his big contract with the Washington Commanders in 2022 while playing on an expiring deal. The team hopes that declining Chase Young's fifth-year option could have a similar effect.

Jeremy Brener | May 9, 2023

Commanders' Ron Rivera Hopes Chase Young Will Have Daron Payne-Type Season /

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are rolling the dice by declining defensive end Chase Young's fifth-year option.

The decision came shortly before the NFL Draft and will make Young a free agent following the 2023 season. Head coach Ron Rivera explained the team's rationale behind the decision.

“Well, just for the most part it was the football decision that we made," Rivera said. "And for the most part, it's one of those things that we want to take care of our own. We want to go out and we want 'em to play well. And if that's what happens, then we have a really good problem to have and it's something that we'll have to work through once we know where everything is.”

It marks the second time in three years that the Commanders neglected to sign their big defensive lineman to an extension when the team could have. Washington could have signed Daron Payne to a long-term deal shortly after exercising his fifth-year option for the 2022 season.

However, Payne played on an expiring deal and had his best season in the NFL to date. He recorded 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks, both career-highs in 2022. The team chose to place the franchise tag on Payne before signing him to a four-year, $90 million extension.

By declining Young's option, there's a chance the same could happen for Washington. If Young plays well this season, he could receive the Commanders' franchise tag, which could then open the door for the former No. 2 overall pick to sign his second big NFL contract.

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Published May 9, 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.