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Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young made his NFL debut against quarterback Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the 2020 season. Wentz remembers that game well. Washington sacked him eight times on that day and intercepted him twice. Young sacked Wentz 1.5 times.
After seemingly having a field day every time he played Washington during his first four seasons, the Football Team beat up on Wentz all day. It’s a game the new Washington quarterback remembers well.
Wentz specifically remembers Young chasing him all around FedEx Field on that and is glad the two are now teammates. In his introductory press conference Thursday, Wentz was asked if he’d spoken to any current Washington players and specifically mentioned Young was one of the first Commanders to reach out to him.
“Chase reached out right away,” Wentz said. “I remember being chased around by him his rookie year and telling him how much of a problem he was for me. And now he’s on my side. So guys have been super receptive, and I look forward to getting to know them and building those relationships.”
Kudos to Young. The 2020 NFL defensive rookie of the year is recovering from a torn ACL that ended his second season in November, yet he took time to reach out to his new quarterback personally.
This may not sound like a big deal, but it shows leadership. Washington is Young’s team. The organization has made it clear that Young, Terry McLaurin and Jonathan Allen are the franchise’s cornerstones. Young making his quarterback feel welcome and comfortable is an excellent first step.
Players don’t care what happened at your last stop. Do you think Young or Allen cares what happened in Indianapolis? No. Wentz will be judged on how he performs for the Commanders this fall.