The top headline of the week was obviously the trade that sent Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers to the New York Jets. Then it will be time for the 2023 NFL Draft that will start on Thursday. Although the Washington Commanders also made a big decision around Chase Young.
There were very high expectations with the 2020 second overall pick. He was seen as an elite pass rusher that didn’t go in the first selection because of Joe Burrow. His upside put him as a prospect with very low chances of not working out. However, a severe injury in 2021 limited his career to just 12 games in the last two seasons. That’s why Washington opted to not pick up his fifth-year option despite having until May 2.
That would have guaranteed him a 2024 salary of over 17.452 million dollars, but that’s no longer the case. This doesn’t mean he is automatically available, although a trade might not be that crazy since he is set to become a free agent next March. These are his potential landing spots in case the Commanders want to ship him away now.
Potential destinations for Chase Young
3- San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have had a ton of bad luck at the quarterback position. They still don’t know if Brock Purdy or Trey Lance will be their starter, but having both on rookie contracts is a huge advantage. San Francisco will have to hand Nick Bosa a massive contract extension soon, although they aren’t afraid of taking big swings. Pairing Bosa with Young could be too enticing while they remain Super Bowl contenders.
2- Philadelphia Eagles
There is no doubt that the main hurdle in this negotiation is the rivalry between these two NFC East teams. Leaving that aside for a second, this makes sense for what they usually do. Philadelphia are a franchise known by building through the trenches, so making a trade for this player fits their preferred approach. They also have a front office used to making splash moves like paying 255M to Jalen Hurts or trading for A.J. Brown.
1- Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City should be the top potential landing spot for Young thanks to a variety of reasons. The Chiefs need help at offensive tackle after letting Orlando Brown Jr. go. They could also target a wide receiver like DeAndre Hopkins, but the defensive line has always been a point of emphasis for them to complement Chris Jones.
They might be giving Patrick Mahomes a new contract this offseason, although they should have enough cap space given how young their roster is. Brett Veach is an aggressive GM that could be willing to execute a deal like this. Their move made in 2019 for a defensive end as Frank Clark gave them huge benefits especially in the postseason, meaning they shouldn’t be discarded.
