There are 99 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season against the Carolina Panthers, which means this year’s No. 99 is our player of the day: Chase Young. The veteran defensive end signed with the Saints as a free agent this spring, and he’s in line for a big role in the fall — once he’s healthy.
But first, let’s get to know him a bit better:
- Name (Age): Chase Young (25)
- Position: Defensive end
- Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 265 pounds
- Relative Athletic Score: N/A
- 2024 salary cap hit: $3,442,000
- College: Ohio State
- Drafted: 2nd overall in 2020 (Washington Commanders)
- NFL experience: 5 years
Before he can worry about anything else, Young must finish recovering from neck surgery he underwent in March to address an injury he played through in 2023. He’s expected to miss some time in training camp, but the Saints have protected themselves by structuring his contract so that it essentially gives them a refund for any games Young misses after Week 1.
For his part, Young is excited to learn from Cameron Jordan, one of the best in the game, while reuniting with old teammates like Pete Werner and Chris Olave. The former Buckeye had more sacks last year with Washington and the San Francisco 49erse than anyone in New Orleans (besides Carl Granderson, tying him at 8.5) as well as more quarterback hits and pressures than many of his new Saints teammates.
The hope is for Young to get healthy and juice up one of the NFL’s least productive pass-rush units. He’s facing a four- to six-month recovery, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, so we’ll see if he’s able to return during training camp or later once the regular season kicks off. The Saints will be without backup defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon after his offseason Achilles injury, but they’ll be leaning on draft picks like Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner until Young can get on the field.
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