Shout-out to Chase Young. The New Orleans Saints defensive end earned a hefty workout bonus after his quick recovery from offseason neck surgery, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, totaling $450,000. He needed to participate in at least 84.3% of the offseason program and Terrell says that “obviously he earned it at this point.”
Young may not have been on the field for organized team activities and minicamp practices earlier this spring, but he was in the facility every day working through his rehab, and that counts towards his bonus incentives. Dennis Allen noted his presence a few times and complimented his work ethic in getting right after that neck procedure. That aggressive approach allowed Young to return ahead of schedule and hit the practice field at the first day of Saints training camp.
Now he’s cashing in. Young’s contract is one of the more unique deals you’ll find in the NFL this year. While it’s technically a fully-guaranteed $13 million contract, Young’s deal is made up of a $2.7 million base and a $1.86 million signing bonus, with $7.99 million available through per-game roster bonuses (on top of this workout bonus). If he misses any time after Week 1 the Saints will receive a credit on the 2025 salary cap valued at about $470,000 per game. But it’s looking like he’ll earn every penny.
Good for him. Young has worked very hard to get to this point, and if all goes as well as hoped he could earn a life-changing contract next offseason — either as an extension with New Orleans or as a new deal in free agency. He just needs to keep it up.
