When the Washington Commanders opened training camp Wednesday, it was noticeable that defensive end Chase Young was no longer wearing a knee brace. Young, who suffered a major knee injury in Week 10 of the 2021 season, didn’t return until Week 16 last season.
In two seasons since his rookie of the year campaign in 2021, Young has missed 22 out of 34 games and has just 1.5 sacks during that time. The Commanders declined Young’s fifth-year option for 2024 this spring, meaning he’ll be a free agent in 2024.
Despite missing a lot of time over the past two seasons, when Young took the field Thursday for Washington’s first open practice, it was clear he remained as popular as ever.
The same can be said for Friday’s practice and Saturday’s practice, which was in front of 10,000 fans. Washington fans still love Young.
When head coach Ron Rivera wanted to fire up the crowd to simulate a game-like situation for the kickers on Saturday, who did he turn to? Young, of course. And he delivered.
Listen to this crowd 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/gEBCZCjN82
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 29, 2023
When Young spoke after practice this week, he was happy seeing the fans for practice.
“Yeah, it was great to see the fans,” Young said Thursday. “It definitely lifted me a lot. I appreciate our fans. I know they’re excited about new ownership, and just the stands itself made it feel more like an NFL practice for real.”
After practice, Young went over to the fence where the fans were. He started at one end, high-fiving every fan to the other end of the fence before heading into the locker room on a miserably hot day.
letting everyone know the high fives are coming 😂 pic.twitter.com/LmDw7AwL43
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 29, 2023
Everyone assumed — especially with the other 31 NFL fan bases — that Young was done in Washington once the team declined his fifth-year option. That’s not true at all.
If Young goes out in 2023 and is back sacking quarterbacks and forcing turnovers, he’s going to get paid a lot next season and beyond. Remember, the Commanders also have new owners. Do you think Josh Harris & Co. wants to let a talent like Young walk?
Another thing to remember, the Commanders need to sell tickets and jerseys. If Young is healthy and successful, he will move more jerseys than any player on the team. That’s not a slight at Terry McLaurin or anyone else, but Young’s charisma and talent are undeniable. It’s why fans still love him despite him being largely absent for two years.
It seems daily we read of fantasy trades of Young to other NFL teams. Can we stop with that yet? It would be an absolute shocker if Washington moved on from Young.
And if the first week of training camp was any indication, Young is still one of Washington’s most popular players, along with McLaurin.