The New Orleans Saints are bringing back edge rusher Chase Young, having agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $51 million, according to multiple reports Monday. Per ESPN, the deal has a maximum value of $57 million.
The No. 2 pick in 2020 finally finds stability after playing on three teams in the last two seasons, including on a one-year deal with the Saints in 2024.
Young, who will be 26 at the start of next season, was the No. 4 edge rusher and No. 20 overall on The Athletic’s updated NFL free agency top 150. As the top non-quarterback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, Young shot out of the gate with a dominant rookie season. His 7.5 sacks, 24 pressures, 12 quarterback hits, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and his first career Pro Bowl.
However, Young struggled to re-capture that great start. Nine games into his 2021 season, Young suffered a torn ACL and patellar tendon, requiring surgery and delaying his return to Week 16 of the following season. The Washington Commanders declined his fifth-year option and eventually traded him to the San Francisco 49ers despite recording 5.0 sacks and 18 pressures in his first seven games of 2023. Young took a backseat role in San Francisco, playing a career-low 58 percent of defensive snaps and failing to start a single game for the first time in his career.
In 2024, Young signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Saints as a pass rush specialist. Though he did not start, Young’s stats portrayed a quality — albeit unlucky — top-end pass rusher. He finished seventh among qualified defensive linemen with a 16.2 percent pressure rate, tied for ninth in total pressures (66) and 16th in quarterback hits (21) while recording just 5.5 sacks.
The film told a more complicated story. Young feasted on backup offensive tackles, and many of his pressures came late in the play or as he let the QB break contain. He was also underwhelming as a run defender (perhaps the reason he was not a starter), too often playing passively or lagging in pursuit.
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