For the second straight year, the San Francisco 49ers acquired a major name at the NFL trade deadline, swinging a deal for Washington Commanders edge rusher Chase Young.
Former 49ers cornerback and current NFL analyst Richard Sherman shared his reaction to the move on Tuesday night.
Sherman praised San Francisco for adding Young and also said he thought it was a response to the NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks adding Leonard Williams to their front seven.
He listed off all of the Niners’ talent on the defensive line, which, in addition to Young, includes Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead. However, Sherman made it a point to say that these guys need to start actually getting to opposing quarterbacks.
Going into Week 9, the 49ers have logged a grand total of 18 sacks, which places them right in the middle of the pack of the league. For a team with that much talent along its front seven, that is unacceptable.
Fortunately for San Francisco, Young is having a solid year, as he totaled five sacks in six games with the Commanders this season.
Young, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was originally selected by Washington with the second overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 24-year-old had an impressive rookie campaign, registering 44 tackles and 7.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended Young’s sophomore season after just nine games, and he played in all of three games in 2022. During that span, he amassed only 1.5 sacks.
The good news for the Niners is that Chase Young has had a resurgence this year and should absolutely help their defense over the second half of 2023.
The 49ers are 5-3 and have a Week 9 bye. They will look to snap a three-game losing streak when they battle the Jacksonville Jaguars on Nov. 12.
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