The New Orleans Saints are betting big on Chase Young. The former Ohio State Buckeye and No. 2 pick in the NFL draft signed a unique one-year deal with the Saints in free agency, and they’re putting a lot of hopes on him livening up their pass rush — once he’s cleared for a full workload after undergoing neck surgery earlier this offseason.
Young’s injury was not news to the Saints, who constructed his deal to where they’ll essentially get a refund on the 2025 salary cap for any games he misses in 2024. Just in case. But they’re hoping he’ll be back in action early this season, and with organized team activities kicking off this week he’s progressing right where they expected him to be. Head coach Dennis Allen shared an update on Young’s health at the Saints Hall of Fame golf tournament on Monday.
“Things are going well right now,” Allen said. “Look, I don’t expect to see him out there on the practice field, working any time soon, he’s been able to participate in some of the walkthrough stuff that we’ve had. I think that’ll be the mode he’ll be in the majority of this time of the year. And then we’ll see where we’re at when training camp rolls around.”
That lines up with the treatment and recovery plan the Saints outlined early on. The expectation is for Young to miss part of training camp while healing up and regaining his strength, and to have had a few weeks of practice behind him before putting on shoulder pads for Week 1’s game with the Carolina Panthers. If he can beat that timeline, even better. If he takes longer, well. That’s why his contract is structured the way it is. For his part, Young is eager to get back on the field and learn from veteran teammates like Cameron Jordan.
