Chase Young won’t surprise people with an early return in 2022.
Defensive end on reserve/physically unenforceable roster, commanders announced Tuesday. The move means Young will miss Washington’s first four games of 2022.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told reporters late Tuesday that uncertainty surrounding Young’s schedule led to their decision to put Young on the PUP, according to The Athletic.
This is not entirely shocking. In late July, Rivera suggested Young — a former first-round pick who suffered a torn ACL in November — may not be ready to play at the start of the regular season. Rivera emphasized caution and patience at the start of training camp, and after nearly a month of preparation, Rivera’s expectations proved accurate.
Washington still has the upper hand in the front-round pick, but Young’s absence has hampered the start of the season a bit. The former No. 2 overall pick has been a solid rookie in 2020, earning a career after completing 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 4 forced turnovers, 3 fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. While battling a groin injury in week 3. His sophomore season wasn’t quite as impressive, ending in just nine games.
Year 3 is going to be a big one for Young, who is full of expectations despite a serious knee injury. Washington isn’t going to rush Young back to see if he can live up to that expectation, and Rivera isn’t going to risk further complicating Young’s health just for a game or two (they’ve already taken the helm from Curtissey). Muir learned a lesson). The commanders will be fine without him as they wait to make sure Young is fully healthy and ready to return.
