Washington Commanders star defensive end Chase Young will have to wait a bit more before he can return to the field. The Commanders placed Young on the reserve/PUP list on Tuesday, meaning he will have to miss at least the first four games of the 2022 regular season before he can play.
Young suffered a torn ACL in Week 10 of last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Young had constructive knee surgery. Doctors used a graft from his left patellar tendon to reconstruct his torn ACL.
With Young, the Commanders have one of the most talented defensive lines in the NFL. The group consists of four first-round picks, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne at defensive tackle and Montez Sweat lined up opposite of Young on the edge.
Washington selected Chase Young second overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. He went on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year with 7.5 sacks and 24 pressures. However, his play fell off during a disappointing sophomore season in 2021.
He had just 1.5 sacks in nine games before his season-ending injury. The defensive line’s overall production faltered as well, although Allen made the Pro Bowl.
At the very least, Young will miss games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and two NFC East divisional games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera maintained all summer that Young would miss time in the regular season. The team had already ruled him out for Week 1 against the Jaguars.
Depth at defensive end beyond Sweat and Young have been an issue. James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill lead a pack of edge rushers looking to fill the void left by Young’s absence.
