Defensive end Chase Young will sign a one-year, fully guaranteed contract with the New Orleans Saints worth $13 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
Young, who was traded from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers last season, visited the Saints on Monday and likes the team's defensive setup, sources told ESPN.
The 49ers acquired Young at the trade deadline, sending a compensatory third-round pick to Washington to shore up their edge rusher talent.
Upon arriving in San Francisco, Young became a key part of the Niners' rushing package, working behind Clelin Ferrell in obvious passing situations. He had 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss while facing 16 pressures in nine regular season games with the 49ers. He also was sacked in the 49ers' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl III.
For the season, Young, 24, added 25 tackles and 41 pressures and tied a career high with 7.5 sacks between Washington and San Francisco.
The manager selected Young with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He suffered a torn right ACL in 2021, playing in just 12 games over two seasons and missing most of the 2022 season.
The Saints have been in the pass rusher market since the fall, but made no move at last year's trade deadline. They finished the 2023 season ranked 28th in sacks with 34, the lowest since 2016.
The Saints invested their top draft picks in pass rushers, selecting Peyton Turner in the first round of the 2021 draft and Isaiah Foskey in the second round of the 2023 draft, but neither player had a sack last year. do not have. Foskey was a healthy scratch for most of the season, while Turner appeared in just two games due to injury.
Last fall, the Saints signed extensions with 27-year-old Carl Granderson and 34-year-old Cameron Jordan. Jordan, a 2011 first-round pick, had 12.5 sacks during the 2021 season, becoming the last Saints pass rusher to record double-digit sacks. He played in every game last season, but was plagued by multiple injuries and finished with 2.5 sacks.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner and Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.
