Saints sign former No. 2 pick to bolster pass rush
The New Orleans Saints are making a move in an attempt to shore up a weakness in their pass rush.
The team announced that it has signed former San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young.
NFL Network reported that Young and Saints agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract.
Young, 24, had been one of the top remaining free agents available, ranking No. 4 on USA TODAY Sports’ list of the top 25 remaining free agents, though the No. 2 player on that list, offensive tackle Tyron Smith, reportedly agreed to a deal with the Jets.
Young was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft. He earned defensive rookie of the year honors that season and also was named to his first and only Pro Bowl team. Although he’s gifted with size, strength, power and speed, Young’s play has remained mostly flat, and he has failed to break out as a star edge rusher, despite his high draft position.
He has 16.5 career sacks, with 7.5 coming in both his rookie season and in the 2023 season – a year when Washington traded him to the 49ers in late October. San Francisco deployed Young in pass rush-specific situations, and he recorded a sack in the team’s 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58.
Young has also battled injury issues, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November 2021; he played in just 12 games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, posting only 1.5 sacks in that span.
The Saints, however, had a dire need for a pass rusher. New Orleans was tied for 28th in sacks (34) in 2023 and 29th in sacks per pass attempt (6.09%). The 34 sacks marked the team’s lowest output since the 2016 season, and the team’s leader in sacks was defensive end Carl Granderson, who recorded just 8.5.