Photo by Matthew Jungling
Chase Young, a football player, joined the New Orleans Saints with a contract worth $13 million. It was a one-year deal that everyone thought was pretty good for both Chase and the team. But now, things don’t look as great for him.
Turns out, Chase might miss some training camp.
After the initial excitement, we’ve learned that Chase’s situation is a bit more complicated. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared that Chase had to have a neck procedure. Even though some teams knew about his injury, they still wanted him on their team.
The more we find out, the more it seems teams were worried about Chase’s neck injury. Albert Breer from The MMQB tells us that teams were hesitant to sign him because of his neck scans. Most teams wouldn’t even pass him on their physical exams.
Some background on Saints DE Chase Young’s deal: Scans on his neck made it tough to find a suitor. No one would clear him on his physical. The condition was initially found after he had a stinger last year vs. the Browns in preseason.
He’ll have neck surgery tomorrow.
Some background on Saints DE Chase Young's deal: Scans on his neck made it tough to find a suitor. No one would clear him on his physical. The condition was initially found after he had a stinger last year vs. the Browns in preseason.
He'll have neck surgery tomorrow.
(cont.)
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 20, 2024
Chase first hurt his neck during a preseason game in 2023. It was supposed to keep him out for a bit, but he only missed one game. He was in the last year of his first contract, so he had good reasons to get back to playing quickly.
His neck issue also affected how much other teams valued him. But the San Francisco 49ers took a chance on him, and he didn’t miss any more games that season. He even managed to get 7.5 sacks.
Chase’s contract is a bit tricky. Jonathan Jones from CBS Sports says it includes $7.9 million in bonuses for each game he plays. He’s sure to get $5 million, but the rest depends on if he plays on game day.
“The idea in doing the 1-year deal with the Saints … was to allow for Young to get locked in with a team, go through the 3-5 month rehab from surgery, and have a chance to make the money back,” Breer explained.
Chase came into the league strong as the second pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He did great in his first year, winning awards and getting lots of attention. But then he had some injuries and didn’t play as much.
Even though Chase had a tough year in 2023 and some people were not happy with how he played, he’s still got a lot of potential. He’s young, only 24, and he’s motivated to do well, especially with his current contract. This could be a really smart move for the Saints, who didn’t have a lot of money to spend on other players.
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