Chase Young’s comments on ACL recovery will delight Commanders fans

Though the Washington Commanders‘ second half turnaround propelled them into the postseason picture (they held a wild card spot for a multi-week stretch), fans weren’t exactly devastated to see the season end.

We don’t mean that in a literal sense, obviously. It’s always painful when your favorite team’s season ends.

However, considering Taylor Heinicke’s limitations at quarterback, the late-season COVID breakout that derailed the team’s playoff hopes and an untold number of injuries, some folks just wanted to hit the reset button.

Over the final five games, during which Washington finished 1-4, the roster was absolutely devastated. It’s tough to pinpoint which player’s absence had the biggest impact, but to say the team missed Chase Young’s energy and leadership after his ACL tear in Week 10 would be an understatement. .

It remains to be seen whether Young, who underwent surgery in late-November, will be ready for the start of next season, but he offered a promising update on his rebab on ESPN’s John Keim’s podcast last week.

Commanders DE Chase Young gave an update on his ACL rehab.

"“It’s coming along great, man,” Young said of his recovery. “I’m already squatting 225. I am already (doing) one-leg squats with weight on my back on the knee I hurt. I’m jumping; it’s going great.”“Everybody has hiccups in the road. It’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish. I plan to … keep working hard and just working to the person I want to be, the Hall of Famer I want to be one day.”"

Young didn’t say whether he was ahead of or right on schedule with his recovery, but the fact he’s squatting 225 pounds and doing pressure exercises/lateral movements on his knee three months removed from surgery is a fantastic sign.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year still has a lot of hurdles to clear in his rehab, but this update just goes to show that torn ACLs aren’t the career-altering injury they once were some 8-10 years ago.

Surgery and treatment is much more advanced and a lot of players, including 49ers star edge rusher Nick Bosa, come back stronger from it.

After suffering an ACL tear two games into his sophomore season, Bosa came back with a vengeance in 2021, logging 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, which led the NFL, 32 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and 75 pressures.

Of course, Bosa suffering the injury as early as he did in 2020 put him on track to return for the start of 2021. The fact Young didn’t undergo surgery until right before December suggests he might be eased in next season.

In other words, fans might want to temper expectations for the 22-year-old after his underwhelming output before the injury.

Folks will turn to his stats (1.5 sacks, four QB hits, two forced fumbles in nine games) as a means to slander him, but he was still effective as a run defender and generated pressure on a consistent basis. Facing more double teams and chips from tight ends and running backs, though, he struggled getting home on sacks.

Yes, that’s why he was drafted No. 2 overall two years ago, but the reports of him being overrated have been greatly exaggerated.

Wherever you stand on Young’s second-year struggles, we think we speak for everyone when we say that this recovery update is great news. He’s said to be rehabbing in Colorado with several notable individuals and his comments indicate he’s attacking it like someone who’ hungry to prove a lot of people wrong.

What more can you ask for?