Young hopes to 'keep taking steps' after promising 2022 debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
ASHBURN, Va. — After 13 months of rehab and recovery following a gruesome knee injury, Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young made his long-anticipated return to the field this past Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers.
The end result of Saturday’s game didn’t go in Washington’s favor, but Young showed multiple flashes of the dominant pass rusher he can be at full health. He played more than double the number of snaps the team expected him to, made a significant impact when he was on the field and, more importantly, came out of the game healthy.
“I wasn’t nervous because I was confident and I was prepared,” Young told reporters in San Francisco after the game. “I did everything and just rehabbed throughout the whole day. I sat back the first [14] games and just knew that time would come.”
Young’s 2022 debut impressed defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who praised the pass rusher for his efforts against the 49ers.
“I thought it was a really solid first game back,” Del Rio said Thursday. “He showed toughness and awareness throughout the ball game.”
Entering Saturday’s game, the goal was for Young to play roughly 12-15 snaps. After being patient with him throughout the rehab process, the last thing the Commanders wanted to do was overload Young’s workload for his first tilt back.
Young hit that number early in the second half, however, and told the coaching staff he felt comfortable and wanted to continue playing. Del Rio and head coach Ron Rivera trusted Young’s opinion and chose to keep him out there; Young finished Saturday’s game having played 30 defensive snaps.
“I knew when the game started getting crunchy,” Young said on his extended playing time. “I said ‘I’m not coming out.'”
After Young exceeded pregame expectations against the 49ers, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera plans to give the pass rusher a larger role this week against the Cleveland Browns.
“We’ll put a little bit more on him in terms of playing him earlier in the downs, playing him a few more reps in a row before we rotate him out,” Rivera said. “I’m pretty excited and anxious to continue to watch him develop.”
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The 23-year-old said there wasn’t one specific moment against the 49ers where he felt like he was ‘back.’ Rather, it was the culmination of his play throughout the entire contest and the feeling of the game slowing down the more he was out there. He later admitted that his self-confidence grew as the game went on, too.
Pro Football Focus graded Young’s outing an 87.4, the highest mark of any Commanders defensive player. His stat line against San Francisco — two tackles, one pass defended — didn’t nearly demonstrate how impactful the third-year pro was in his first taste of football in over a year.
“When I’m out on the field, regardless, I’m going to make a play out there,” he said.
After making his long-anticipated season debut, Young hopes to just “keep taking steps” and build off his strong performance. His return to the lineup came at an excellent time; Washington has two games remaining and is in control of their playoff destiny. After missing 14 games, being able to play in meaningful December games certainly crossed Young’s mind following Saturday’s loss.
“I’m fresh, my mind is fresh and my legs are fresh,” Young said. “I’m going to be that dog for this [playoff] run.”
When Young spoke with reporters on Nov. 23, he was asked what he’ll bring to the Commanders’ defense when he returns. The 23-year-old cracked a smile and responded, simply, “Chase Young.”
On Thursday, Young was reminded of this back-and-forth and then was asked whether he thought he fulfilled his promise against the Niners. Once again, he delivered another punchline.
“Mm-hmm,” he said. “And you’re going to see him again.”
