Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young will not play in Sunday’s season opener against the Arizona Cardinals as he was ruled out with a neck injury, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
Young was previously listed as questionable, but he was downgraded to out Saturday — a day after his latest doctor’s appointment. A source said Young has been cleared for contact in practice, but the former Defensive Rookie of the Year is not quite ready to make his season debut.
Young has been dealing with a neck injury since Washington’s first preseason game in Cleveland. During that outing, Young played only four snaps before he reported symptoms of a stinger injury to the team’s medical staff. He was then held out for the rest of the game, and the injury caused him to miss several practices.
Young had practiced this week, but only on a limited basis. Despite that, he expressed optimism he would be available for the opener — telling reporters “I’m ready to go.”
The pass rusher, though, turned out to be not ready. The Athletic reported that Young is also expected to miss next week’s game as well, when the Commanders travel to face the Denver Broncos.
The injury-related absence is the latest disappointment for Young. The former No. 2 overall pick played in just three games last season after missing most of the season while recovering from the serious knee injury he suffered in November 2021.
Young’s health history was a big reason the Commanders opted not to pick up the edge rusher’s fifth-year option in the spring. Doing so would have guaranteed Young nearly $17.5 million in 2024, but he’ll instead be a free agent after this season barring given an extension or the franchise tag.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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