The New Orleans Saints have been busy this offseason doing work to get under the salary cap. That led to some veteran players being moved on and players departing in free agency, as New Orleans didn’t sign a single player from another team during the first wave of free agency.
Alas, that changed on Monday afternoon. The Saints are now on the board, agreeing to a deal with defensive end Chase Young. The news was reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who also shared that Young was seeking a deal to set himself up for the future and to team up with Cameron Jordan.
The No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft got off to a hot start in his career, winning Defensive Player of the Year and being named to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately for him, his career was derailed the following season by a serious knee injury.
He appeared in nine games before being injured and returned to play in only three, with restrictions, in 2022. Another year removed from the injury in 2023, Young began looking more like his former self.
NFL News & Rumors: Chase Young, 2024 NFL Free Agency, New Orleans Saints Updates
He played in seven games, starting six, with the Washington Commanders and picking up 5.0 sacks. The Commanders then traded him to the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline, as he became part of a defensive front that helped San Francisco get to the Super Bowl.
According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, the deal between Young and the Saints will be a one-year contract. It can be worth up to $13 million in total, providing the former Ohio State product a chance to rehab his value and hit the market again in 2025 for a lucrative multi-year deal.
Some added juice in the pass-rushing department is something the Saints certainly needed more of this offseason. Carl Granderson led the team with 8.5 sacks in 2023, as they tied for 28th in the NFL, with the New York Giants, with only 34 sacks last season.
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