Chase Young offers no hint into whether he will attend OTAs

Chase Young talked to the media Monday, offering an injury update, but did not indicate his plans for OTAs. Young is in constant contact with coach Ron Rivera.

Chase Young’s second NFL season ended in disappointing fashion when he suffered a torn ACL in a Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year finished 2021 with 21 tackles, two forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks.

Those weren’t quite the numbers Young or Washington envisioned after his impressive rookie year.

On Monday, one day after Washington’s season ended with a 22-7 win over the New York Giants; players cleaned out their lockers at the team headquarters. Therefore, many team members met with the media via Zoom, and Young was one of those players.

Young gave an update on his injury.

“I feel real good,” Young said. “I feel like my knee is getting better every day. So, definitely making great progress.”

That’s certainly good news, and Young was asked if training camp was a realistic goal for him. While Young admitted it was, he wasn’t putting a timeline on his recovery.

“Yeah, but you know right now I’m just a day at a time,” Young answered. “I ain’t even worried about the future.”

It’s refreshing to hear Young not promising he would be “all in for Week 1.” We know how that one worked out.

One interesting topic of conversation Monday revolved around OTAs. Last offseason, Young skipped OTAs, instead choosing to work out independently while pursuing outside opportunities. OTAs are voluntary, so it was within Young’s rights to skip.

However, as he struggled in 2021, he faced criticism about skipping OTAs, mainly since he was a team captain. Young brushed off that criticism.

So, what about his plans for OTAs this offseason?

“We’re (Young and Ron Rivera) still talking about it,” Young said. “Figuring everything out for it, so I’m not sure right now.”

No player should be criticized for skipping voluntary workouts, especially if they show up in shape and play well. While Young showed up in fantastic shape, he did have a disappointing second season. If he skips OTAs again in 2022, some will criticize him, but all is forgotten if he returns to the field and recaptures the magic of his rookie season.