The 2024 NFL free agency cycle has slowed down, but it’s not even close to done yet. Now, the New Orleans Saints are signing former second-overall pick Chase Young. After being traded mid-season to the San Francisco 49ers, he finds yet another home for 2024.
A Look at Chase Young’s Contract Details
Despite his high draft status, Young hasn’t lived up to those expectations just yet. As a result, he’s earned a one-year, prove-it deal with the Saints. The move was initially reported by Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter followed with the contract details.
The deal that the Saints gave Young was a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $13 million. He visited the Saints’ building earlier in the day before signing the new deal.
The deal is Young’s first since his rookie contract. His rookie deal was a four-year, fully guaranteed $34.5 million deal. Young had his fifth-year option declined, which would have earned him a fully guaranteed $17.4 million in 2024. Instead, he gets almost $4.5 million less.
Long story short, Young gets a chance to break out with a fresh start. At just 24 years old, there’s a good chance that, if he stays healthy, Young could meet his draft position expectations.
Significance of Young Joining the New Orleans Saints
For the Saints, Young is the second big-time signing made on the defensive side of the ball. He’s just the third signing in general that has a chance to start.
The first two signings were linebacker Willie Gay Jr., who previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Cedrick Wilson Jr., who most recently played for the Miami Dolphins.
Willie Gay and now Chase Young join vets Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis on the #Saints defensive front. 😤 https://t.co/Ok0fenkgxb pic.twitter.com/GZAzHA4eAo
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365)
Young will get work at defensive end alongside Carl Granderson, Cameron Jordan, and Payton Turner. Jordan, who is turning 35 this summer, is entering the final years of his career while Young and Turner are both former first-round picks who aim to thrust into the role he’s held for a long time.
In addition to the defensive line Young is working with, he’ll also see help on the defense from Tyrann Mathieu, Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, and more.
Coming out of college, Young was a superstar at Ohio State. At 6’5″, 247 pounds, he had 30.5 sacks and 40.5 tackles for loss in three seasons with the Buckeyes. That success got him taken second overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Washington Football Team, now Washington Commanders.
In his career, he’s had 100 tackles, 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, nine pass deflections, and one touchdown. Additionally, he won AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, production hasn’t been his only issue — injuries have been. In his four seasons, he played just 43 games and only more than 10 games in a season twice (2020, 2023).
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