Chase Young's 5th-Year Contract Option Being Evaluated by Commanders, Ron Rivera Says

The Washington Commanders have not decided whether they will pick up defensive end Chase Young's fifth-year contract option, head coach Ron Rivera told reporters Wednesday.

Young has played three NFL seasons after Washington selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors while helping lead Washington to an NFC East title. Young racked up 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles, four forced fumbles (three recoveries) and a touchdown.

Unfortunately, the former Ohio State star suffered a torn ACL and patellar tendon in his right knee in Week 10 of the 2021 season. He returned to the field Dec. 24, 2022, versus the San Francisco 49ers.

The fifth-year contract option allows teams to extend their first-round draft choices' contracts from four to five years. This year's deadline for teams to exercise those options for 2020 draftees is May 1.

As far as Young goes, there's obviously questions surrounding how well he'll do coming back from the knee trouble. He only played 115 snaps over three games to cap the 2022 season, so that isn't nearly enough to gauge where he's at.

A full offseason training program and camp will put him in a better position to succeed, and the Commanders can get a clearer idea of how he's doing.

Young has tremendous potential, as evidenced by a remarkable career at Ohio State that he capped with 16.5 sacks during the 2019 season. Following that year, he was widely considered a can't-miss prospect with All-Pro potential.

He could very well still realize that potential. Even if the Commanders play it safe and decline the option, Washington could look to re-sign him to a long-term deal if he has a good 2023 campaign.