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Washington Commanders star defensive end Chase Young has barely seen the field since 2021 after a devastating knee injury, but the former AP Defensive Rookie of the Year is starting to finally feel like himself once again at NFL training camp, as he told Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.
“I feel myself,” Young said. “I feel good, and I’m running around, and I’m feeling explosive again.”
Young, who shed the brace on his right knee for the first time in training camp this season, is hoping for a big comeback campaign after barely playing towards the back end of last season with the Commanders already out of playoff contention. Young will also enter the 2023 season in the final year of his contract after Washington declined his fifth-year option.
There's plenty of financial incentive for Young to return to the form of his rookie year, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and looked destined for superstardom. Injuries have derailed those plans thus far, as Young's 2021 ACL surgery involved a long and arduous rehabilitation process that caused him to miss major time.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reached out to Young during his recovery, offering words of encouragement.
Young has apparently played well in NFL training camp thus far, as head coach Ron Rivera told the Associated Press.
“It’s good to see Chase moving around the way he did,” Rivera said. “He’s lightyears ahead of where he was last training camp. I think that’s a big deal for us.”
Young's ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks could be a big boon for the Commanders this season. Washington finished 12th in sacks per game last season with Young appearing in just three games.
While it may be a lot to ask for Commanders defensive end Chase Young to return to his pre-injury form, the 24-year-old could be a major difference-maker for a Washington defense that will have to be tough in a loaded NFC East.