Washington's Chase Young Being Cautious at Camp Because of Hip Flexor Injury

Washington edge-rusher Chase Young was limited at practice Wednesday because of a hip flexor.

Ben Standig of The Athletic provided an update from head coach Ron Rivera:

Losing Young for any period would be a major blow for Washington. He was arguably the best defensive player in college football over the past two years, registering 27 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss during that time.

That made the defensive end an easy selection with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL draft after Cincinnati selected Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. There was some question whether Washington might use the pick on a quarterback, but Young was the safe bet (giving Dwayne Haskins a second season to prove himself under center as well).

While Young's sidelined, look for Ryan Anderson to move to defensive end opposite Montez Sweat. But missing Young and his dynamic edge-rushing ability off the edge—especially for a defense whose strength is its front four, with Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne starring at defensive tackle—is a concern.

Washington is scheduled to open the regular season Sept. 13 when it hosts the Philadelphia Eagles at FedEx Field. The preseason was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.