By Dianna Russini, Matt Barrows, David Lombardi and Greg Rosenstein
Defensive end Chase Young is expected to sign a 1-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, league sources told The Athletic on Monday. Young’s contract will be for a fully guaranteed $13 million, according to ESPN.
Young, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, spent his first 4 1/2 seasons with the Washington Commanders. He was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 31 for a 2024 third-round selection. Young played nine games for the 49ers last season, totaling five solo tackles and 2.5 sacks. In Washington, he played in 43 games (32 starts) with 50 solo tackles and 15 sacks.
He is the second defensive player signing this offseason in New Orleans, joining former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay.
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Young never lived up to expectations in San Francisco
Young became the 49ers’ second-best defensive end after they acquired him at midseason, and he recorded a half sack and two quarterback hits in his first game, a Week 10 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Still, there was a sense that Young never attained his 2020 form when he was the league’s defensive rookie of the year and there were persistent issues about run defense and effort — even in the playoffs — that marred Young’s brief stint in San Francisco.
For example, even though Young was clearly the most physically gifted edge player on the club, perhaps even more than Nick Bosa, he never overtook Clelin Ferrell as the 49ers’ preferred base-down defensive end until Ferrell was sidelined with a knee injury in January. To his credit, Young played well — and with consistent effort — in the Super Bowl, and he had a sack on Patrick Mahomes. But his hot-and-cold streaks were problematic for the 49ers, who ended up signing someone known for his relentless effort, Leonard Floyd, in free agency. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
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Why 49ers decided not to bring Young back
Over his half-season with the 49ers, Young showcased both a high ceiling and a low floor. Young was effective as a pass rusher in the Super Bowl, notching a sack and forcing Mahomes into an intentional grounding penalty. But on the aggregate, the 49ers didn’t get enough of a pass-rushing punch from Young to justify the cost the Saints paid him. He ranked around No. 25 in Pro Football Focus’ pass-rushing efficiency. Instead, San Francisco signed Floyd to man the edge opposite star Bosa to a deal reportedly worth up to $10 million annually. — David Lombardi, 49ers beat writer
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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
