Defensive end Chase Young, recently of the San Francisco 49ers, is joining the New Orleans Saints, according to multiple reports.
NOLA.com and ESPN's Adam Schefter report the former rookie of the year signed a 1-year deal with the Saints, reportedly worth $13 million.
Young was the No. 2 overall pick by the Commanders in the 2020 draft out of Ohio State, and arrived with high expectations. He appeared to be ready to deliver on that promise with a 7.5-sack season that led all rookies, but his career was derailed by an ACL tear in Year 2. He ultimately worked back to mixed results before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2023 season. In his career Young has totaled 100 tackles and 16.5 sacks.
The deal is one that should give the 24-year-old motivation to rebuild his stock before hitting free agency again in 2025. His presence should help bolster a rotation that battled inconsistency a season ago, headlined by veteran Cam Jordan and Carl Granderson, along with former first round pick Payton Turner and last year's second round pick Tanoh Kpassagnon.
The signing also represents the first major splash of this offseason for New Orleans. The Saints have also agreed to low-end deals with linebacker Willie Gay, QB Nathan Peterman, FBs Zander Horvath and Adam Prentice and WRs Cedrick Wilson and Stanley Morgan.