The New Orleans Saints and Chase Young have found a match in free agency, but the defensive end has things to address before he hits the field.
The former No. 2 overall pick will have to undergo neck surgery that is expected to keep him sidelined until some point in training camp, according to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter. Teams were made aware of the necessary procedure throughout his search for a new team in free agency.
The Saints were clearly undeterred by that information as they courted Young, whom they signed on a 1-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $13 million. Young is expected to be ready in time for the start of the 2024 season.
If all goes well, Young is expected to add firepower to a defensive end group that had its difficulties getting to and taking down opposing quarterbacks throughout the 2023 season. The Saints finished the season with 34 sacks, a figure that was tied for 28th. That is in spite of significant draft investment at the position in recent years.
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Injuries have been a major theme for Young since he arrived in the NFL as a highly touted defensive end out of Ohio State. He tore his ACL in his second season, and was limited to just 12 games played across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He did appear in 16 games in 2023 split between Washington and San Francisco.
“Injuries definitely ... hindered a few things, but it’s all good," Young said this week. "It’s all about the process. You know, all about the journey. I know what I can do and, you know, I’m a man of God, he’s still giving me opportunities to prove it, so we’re here.”
The group would be headlined by Young, veteran Cam Jordan and a pleasant surprise in Carl Granderson, who signed a multi-year extension last season after securing a role as a UDFA. The Saints will also be hoping for a bigger impact from a pair of highly drafted players in Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey, both of whom were injured for a significant chunk of their careers to this point.
Young's signing is the lone big splash in an offseason that has featured several low-level signings for the Saints. They've also fullback Zander Horvath, QB Nathan Peterman, LB Willie Gay, OL Oli Udoh, and WRs Cedrick Wilson and Stanley Morgan. The team has also re-signed FB Adam Prentice and S Ugo Amadi.