Commanders Will ‘Wait Until May 2’ for Chase Young Contract Decision, Ron Rivera Says

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Are the Washington Commanders going to pick up defensive end Chase Young’s fifth-year contract option before the May 2 deadline?

“We’ll wait until May 2,” Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Thursday, h/t ESPN’s John Keim.

The fifth-year option in Young’s rookie contract fully guarantees him $17.5 million in 2024, according to Spotrac. If the Commanders decline to take the option, Young will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Rivera and Young both joined the Commanders as the team began its rebuild three years ago. Young, the second overall pick of the 2020 draft, has been limited by a severe knee injury to 12 games over the past two seasons.

It did not take long for Young to establish himself as a core part of the Commanders’ future. The Ohio State product made 1.5 sacks, four tackles and a forced fumble in his NFL debut to start out the 2021 season. He finished it by leading all rookies with 1.5 sacks.

Young was one of only two rookies named to the 2021 Pro Bowl. He was the first rookie in Washington franchise history to be named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.

As the accolades poured in, the expectations ramped up. Young began to face scrutiny in his second season as he was held to 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three tackles for loss through the first nine games of 2021.

Then, in Week 10, Young suffered a devastating injury to his right knee which kept him off the field for 22 straight games.

After over a year of recovery, Young showed off his reconstructed ACL in his 2022 season debut on December 24. He went on to record five tackles and one pass defense in three games to finish out the season.

If Young can return his game to the level of his rookie season, his sub-$20 million price tag would be more than worth it for the Commanders. Are they willing to take that risk, given the limited sample size since his comeback from injury?

Montez Sweat, Young’s pass-rushing partner, is also set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2024 unless the Commanders work out a deal with him this year. Washington must work out over the next week whether or not Sweat and Young are the edge-rushing duo that will carry the Commanders back into the playoffs, or if they should instead be focusing on finding new defensive end talent in the upcoming draft.