3 reasons to be excited about the Washington Commanders in 2023
By Dean Jones
Commanders get Chase Young back
There are some who've already written off Chase Young. Many fans don't believe he'll ever reach the level expected coming out of college, but that is not a sentiment shared by the player or the Washington Commanders just yet.
Even though those in power declined Young's fifth-year option, they remain confident that the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft can alter a worrying recent career path. Injuries and inconsistent performances over the last two seasons have seen doubts grow exponentially, leaving the margin for error incredibly slim heading into the new campaign.
Young knows what's at stake in 2023. Either he'll stay healthy and get back to the form of old or being labeled as one of the biggest draft busts of the modern era becomes guaranteed.
High stakes, indeed. Young is doing everything in his power to get his body right ahead of training camp and looks in phenomenal shape, but all fans care about is on-field production increasing and more importantly, putting a prolonged run of contests together without injury complications.
If the Commanders get Young at 100 percent and he plays a full 17-game slate, then it might be enough for their defensive front to become truly dominant. They are already well on their way to this with Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Montez Sweat, so the Ohio State product's return represents the icing on top of a very delicious cake.