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Defensive end Chase Young plans to sign a one-year, $13 million fully guaranteed contract with the New Orleans Saints, 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 third-round compensatory pick to Washington to bolster his talent as an edge rusher.
Upon his arrival in San Francisco, Young became a prominent part of the Niners’ attacking packages, working behind Clelin Ferrell in obvious passing situations. He had 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles with 16 pressures in nine regular-season games with the 49ers. He also had a sack in the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
For the season, Young, 24, tied a career high with 7.5 sacks, adding 25 tackles and 41 pressures between Washington and San Francisco.
The Commanders used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Young. He dealt with a torn right ACL in 2021 that cost him most of the 2022 season, as he appeared in just 12 games over two seasons.
The Saints have been in the pass rush market since the fall, although they didn’t make a move at the trade deadline last year. They finished the 2023 season ranked 28th with 34 sacks, their lowest total since 2016.
The Saints have invested high picks in pass rushers, selecting Payton 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. Foskey was healthy for most of the season and Turner played in only two games due to injury.
The Saints signed extensions to Carl Granderson, 27, and Cameron Jordan, 34, last fall. Jordan, a 2011 first-round pick, was the last Saints pass rusher to have double-digit sacks when he finished with 12.5 sacks during the 2021 season. He played in every game last season, but had to deal with several injuries and He finished with 2.5 sacks.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.