Defensive end Chase Young is reportedly set to sign a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints after leaving the San Francisco 49ers.
The Washington Commanders declined the fifth-year option on Young’s rookie contract last year and traded him to San Francisco in November.
He played nine games for the Niners and assumed a key role in their rushing packages as they reached Super Bowl LVIII, where he recorded one sack of Patrick Mahomes in his team’s 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Young tied his career-high tally with 7.5 sacks through the 2023 season, recording five for the Commanders and 2.5 for San Francisco.
The 24-year-old – who was the number two overall pick in the 2020 draft – entered free agency this offseason and was linked with the Saints and the Carolina Panthers.
On Monday, ESPN reported Young had agreed to join New Orleans on a fully-guaranteed $13million deal after being impressed by the team’s defensive setup in exploratory visits.
Saints expected to sign DE Chase Young. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/ffTfzFqK3K
— NFL (@NFL) March 18, 2024
He will represent a major upgrade on the Saints’ current pass rush options, after the team ranked 28th in the NFL with 34 sacks in 2023.
New Orleans have missed the playoffs in three successive seasons after reaching the postseason in each of the previous four. Dennis Allen’s team finished 9-8 in 2023, however, after going 7-10 in his first campaign at the helm in 2022.
