Chase Young Placed on PUP List amid Injury Rehab; Will Miss Commanders' 1st 4 Games

Washington Commanders edge-rusher Chase Young will miss the first four games of the 2022 season after being placed on the reserve/PUP (physically unable to perform) list Tuesday.

Young continues to recover from a torn right ACL suffered last November. He's eligible to return in Week 5 on Oct. 9 against the Tennessee Titans.

The former Ohio State star was one of college football's brightest and best defensive players in recent memory. He amassed 16.5 sacks in 12 games for the 2019 Buckeyes. Thanks to his efforts, he was picked No. 2 overall in the 2020 draft.

Young helped Washington earn an NFC East title in his rookie year. He finished second on the team with 7.5 sacks and earned a Pro Bowl appearance and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

The 23-year-old was having a bit of a down campaign in 2021 with just 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits through nine games when he tore his right ACL against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 14 and went on to miss the rest of the season.

A team source told ESPN's John Keim on July 29 that Young was not expected back until mid-September at the earliest. Washington head coach Ron Rivera said Young would at a minimum miss the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 11 and possibly more. However, he noted Young was on track in his recovery.

"It was a serious injury," Rivera said. "He's doing everything he's supposed to. He's on time as far as where the doctors think he should be, and as he gets better and better we can update you. But right now, he's right where he needs to be."

James Smith-Williams is the next player up on the depth chart behind Young. The third-year pro had 30 tackles and two-and-a-half sacks last year.