The Washington Commanders selected Chase Young with the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Ohio State star burst out of the gates with 7.5 sacks. and four forced fumbles while winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
But his next two years would be riddled with injury, including tearing his ACL in 2021, limiting Young to just nine games. Since his injury happened so late in the season, Young was also forced to miss a large chunk of the 2022 football year too, where he played just three games.
A promising career that started so positively has left the Washington faithful with a different taste over the past two seasons, but it’s not Young’s fault he’s been hurt. The uncertainty about Young’s health has even led Washington to decline his fifth-year contract option, which has him playing out the final year of his rookie contract this season.
Naturally, Young had high hopes heading into his fourth year in the NFL, but now he’s once again sidelined with another injury.
According to The Athletic’s Ben Standig, Young will miss Washington’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday as he recovers from a neck injury. Young is also expected to miss next week’s matchup with the Denver Broncos, too, but could be close to a return after Week 2.
Young first suffered the injury, a neck stinger, back on August 11, during Washington’s preseason opener against Cleveland. He has been a limited participant in practice ever since. On Wednesday, Young declared himself “ready to go,” but an MRI exam on Friday has led to a different timeline. The belief is Young will still be ready to return to the gridiron fairly soon.
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