Commander Country

Commanders' Ron Rivera Mum on Chase Young Option

Ron Rivera didn't have much to say about the Washington Commanders picking up Chase Young's fifth-year option.

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders have the NFL Draft next weekend, but there's another decision looming on their mind.

The Commanders have until May 2 to decide whether they will pick up Chase Young's fifth-year option. Head coach Ron Rivera had a very non-dramatic answer to the polarizing question.

"We'll wait until May 2nd," Rivera said.

The decision of whether or not to pick up Young's option is a tricky one. He's an immensely talented player, evidenced by his No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, but his past two seasons have been defined by injuries.

The talent is still there, but can Young overcome this injury? The 2023 season will be a good indicator in whether Young can replicate his rookie campaign, but the Commanders don't have that time in deciding whether to keep him.

Should the Commanders decline his option, Young will have to prove himself in 2023 and he'll become a free agent at season's end. From there, the Commanders could tag Young, sign him to a pricey extension, or let him walk if things don't work out.

If Washington opts in to the fifth year, Young will have two seasons before free agency, but he'll be paid $17.45 million in 2024.

This year, the franchise tag for a defensive end is worth $19.727 million, so we're looking at a difference of about $2 million.

The Commanders are likely going to look and see what happens in the draft and figure it out from there. Depending on if the team adds a defensive end or not, it could provide a clue as to what Washington will do with Young's contract at the beginning of May.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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