By May 2, NFL teams have to make a decision on the fifth-year options for players selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. We have already seen reports on Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Jefferson having their options picked up, but now we have news regarding a top player who will not have his option exercised.
The Washington Commanders will not exercise the fifth-year option on former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young's rookie contract, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones has confirmed. This means that Young will be a free agent following the 2023 NFL season.
The Ohio State product played in just three games this past season due to a torn ACL he suffered in November 2021. Young recorded just five combined tackles, zero sacks and one QB hit in those three contests. The ACL tear interrupted what was a disappointing season for Young. In nine games played in 2021, he recorded 26 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks and four QB hits.
Young burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2020, recording 44 combined tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 12 QB hits. He was rewarded with AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. That season, the Washington Football Team won the NFC East with a 7-9 record, while Taylor Heinicke gave Tom Brady and the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers a close game on Super Wild Card Weekend.
The decision to not exercise Young's option is not a shocking one, and it certainly does not mean his time in Washington is over. If Young stays healthy and rebounds in 2023, he will be set to cash in next offseason.
