Could the New Orleans Saints be a turnaround point for a star player?
When it comes to big names on prove-it deals in 2024, it doesn’t get much bigger than former second pick Chase Young.
Young is a guy just targeted by Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski as one of 10 players around the league who could earn a massive payday:
“After finally overcoming a devastating knee injury that limited the '20 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year to only 12 games during the following two seasons, Young didn't make it through a full campaign with the Commanders before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers at last year's in-season deadline.”
The former Ohio State star will have to stay on the field to make that happen, of course. After a 15-game rookie season, he only played a total of 12 games over the next two regular seasons before splitting time between two teams. In San Francisco over nine games after the trade last year, he managed just 2.5 sacks.
It is wise not to count Young out yet, though. He’s still just 25 years old and has the benefit of getting an entire onboarding process this summer with his new team. While the Saints’ pass rush isn’t necessarily as juiced as it used to be, playing alongside the likes of Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson could help him secure that big payday.
There’s a conversation worth having about whether the cap-strapped Saints could afford such a payday, sure. But the semi-rebuilding team would have a hard time complaining about Young exceeding his current contract in the form of attendance and production.
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