The Commanders remain without one of their top edge rushers as they make their way through the 2022 season.
Third-year player and former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young remains on the team’s Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list following a devastating ACL injury to his right knee suffered last season. NFL rules mandated he be kept him from the teams’ first four games of the 2022 season at minimum, but kept open the possibility for a return after Week 4.
That was not the case, however, as Washington continues to prioritize his health over rushing him back. While the Commanders doubtless would love for Young to return to the lineup, it’s clear the team isn’t going to rush his recovery. Washington is still among the best in the league at generating sacks, ranking seventh with 14 through five games.
Regardless, a return by Young to the defensive lineup would be a welcome addition to a team looking for a spark as it heads into the remainder of its season.
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With that, The Sporting News looks at what happened to Chase Young, his recovery timeline and when he could return to play for Washington:
What is Chase Young’s injury?
Young suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in Week 10 of last season — Nov. 14, 2021 — against the Buccaneers. The injury occurred on a routine pass-rush that saw him go down with a non-contact injury:
Here’s my angle on it. Chase Young injury. Get well soon, 99. pic.twitter.com/GJkVoejASM
— Damien Bartonek 🇺🇦 (@DABartonek) November 14, 2021
Chase Young is down on the field after the previous play. pic.twitter.com/wnNh8ial5k
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 14, 2021
Tests later confirmed the torn ACL in Young’s right knee, knocking him out for the remainder of the season. It also has kept him out for a good portion of Washington’s training camp and the first portion of the 2022 season.
Young in November underwent surgery, performed by sports surgeon James Andrews, to reconstruct his ACL. The Washington Post notes that surgery is different from a typical repair:
In November, the defensive end underwent an ACL reconstruction in which famed sports surgeon James Andrews used a graft from Young’s left patellar tendon to reconstruct the ligament in his right knee. The procedure is subtly different from an ACL repair, in which a surgeon reattaches the torn ligament to the bone. Recovery from a repair is often shorter than a reconstruction.
While an ACL repair would have been less invasive and had a presumably shorter recovery timeline, a full reconstruction would get Young back closer to 100 percent.
When will Chase Young return?
The Post reported on Aug. 23 that the Commanders placed Young on the Reserve/PUP list, a designation for players expected to miss time during the regular season.
NFL rules mandate that any player placed on that list will not be counted against the team’s 53-man roster, but must miss the first four games of the season (down from six in previous seasons).
NFL rules would technically have allowed Young to return to action following the team’s Week 4 loss to the Cowboys. But the team is not rushing his return amid a 1-4 start. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Oct. 2 that the team is eyeing a midseason return for the pass-rusher.
That likely would result in a return date in one of Week 7, 8 or 9 — vs. the Packers, at the Colts or vs. the Vikings, respectively. The Commanders do not have a bye until Week 14.
It appears Young is making strides in his recovery, as noted by fellow defensive lineman Jonathan Allen to “The Sports Junkies” podcast on Sept. 20:
“Man, Chase is close,” Allen said at the time. “I mean, obviously I can’t say because I don’t really know, but he looks good from what I’ve seen and he’s excited. He’s out there running and getting back to his old self, so I’m excited. I really am.
“He’s not doing any drills with us, but I mean, we’re also in full pads hitting each other, getting ready for practice and he’s just not at that stage yet as far as being with the team,” Allen said. “I don’t even know if he’s allowed to, based on the rules — I don’t even know how all that stuff works. It’s really complicated.”
Commanders edge rusher depth chart
Young isn’t the only Commanders player along the defensive line to miss time this season. Rookie second-round draft pick Phidarian Mathis tore his meniscus in his left knee in Week 1 vs. the Jaguars, causing him to be placed on injured reserve.
That said, Mathis is more of an interior lineman. Young is an edge rusher, ranking third on the depth chart until his return. James Smith-Williams and Shaka Toney are ahead of him on the depth chart, whereas Montez Sweat, Efe Obada and Casey Toohill are on the other side of the base 4-3 formation:
| Player (position) | Place on depth chart |
|---|---|
| James Smith-Williams (LDE) | 1 |
| Shaka Toney (LDE) | 2 |
| Chase Young (LDE) | 3 |
| Montez Sweat (RDE) | 1 |
| Efe Obada (RDE) | 2 |
| Casey Toohill (RDE) | 3 |
Sweat, Obada and Smith-Williams have two sacks apiece and have combined for 32 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 21 quarterback hits in five games.
Linebacker Jamin Davis leads the team with three sacks, followed by Allen and Daron Payne with 2 1/2 apiece, in the same span.