A knee injury represents a significant reason Chase Young is now with the Saints, after a declined fifth-year option led him to free agency. But the former Defensive Rookie of the Year will spend extensive time rehabbing another issue this offseason.
Young will undergo neck surgery, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds the talented edge rusher is expected to be sidelined into training camp. The Saints expect Young to be ready for the season, and while they were comfortable with the fifth-year veteran’s neck issue upon signing him Monday, it will be a while before he is in uniform again.
This procedure helps explain why Young ended up with a “prove it” deal. Even on a market featuring some starter-caliber edge rushers with upside, Young’s talent stood out. But his 2021 knee trouble — a torn ACL and ruptured patellar tendon — sidelined him for nearly all of the 2022 season. With that in his rearview mirror and this nick issue a factor as well, Young did not land a multiyear contract. Though, the Saints did give the former Heisman finalist a $13MM guarantee for the 2024 season. That illustrated other teams were willing to bet on Young now.
The Saints indeed secured exclusive negotiating rights with Young until March 2025. That will give the NFC South team a chance to evaluate a player whose trajectory once seemed to be soaring beyond “prove it” deal territory. But Young lost nearly two seasons due to the knee injury. After he started off well with the Commanders before a midseason trade last year (five sacks), he was unable to display the same form with the 49ers, registering 2.5 sacks in eight games. Still, Young is going into only his age-25 season. He has time to rebuild his value ahead of a potentially lucrative third contract.
That said, this neck surgery will introduce another complication here. It is certainly possible the Saints will want to see an extensive run of Young health before considering an extension. Young also may be interested in proving it to enhance his 2025 market, seeing as he was not planning to discuss a new Commanders deal until after the 2024 season. The Saints will wait on the once-prized prospect for a while, as it now appears less than a lock Young will be ready for Week 1.
Wait to get neck surgery the day after you sign a contract. Smart
*Eddie Murphy gif
That was fast.
The Saints don’t check medicals?
This so so Saints.
In all fairness to the Saints medical staff… They discovered last year that TE Foster Moreau had Hodgkin Lymphoma during his medical exam last year. He ended up getting treatment and playing.
Young is done. She’ll of his Ohio St. days already. Plus his motivation seems nonexistent.
*shell
bust
Absolutely crazy that any team would sign him prior to surgery.
Well this just keeps getting better and better. I laughed so hard I almost threw up. I usually don’t make fun of guys who are hurt but signing a guy to a deal he didn’t deserve and having him have neck surgery the next day, What else are you supposed to think? LMAO. Like I said, No secret why the Saints are in perpetual cap crisis. Somebody needs to be fired.
They had to know about the surgery prior to signing him. It’s not exactly a career ending ailment.
But they only signed him for 1 year at 13 million- NOT TO PLAY! I don’t even think Ryan Pace could have thought that up.
So wait….did the Saints sign him knowing he was going in for next surgery which is pretty serious regardless of common knowledge….crazy….didn’t Dallas just cut one of their starting linebackers because of continuing neck issues that ended his career…..
Like others have said, the $13M was a fair enough salary considering all his other injuries. I don’t think much of the direction this is going.