Chase Young

Career StatsB

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		72	32.0	169	28
2025		12	10.0	38	5
2024		17	5.5	31	7.5
2023		16

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Saints landed a solid value play with Chase Young's three-year, $51M extension, earning a C+ CVI that reflects shrewd roster building rather than a blockbuster acquisition. At $17M annually, New Orleans secured a solid starter at a price point that aligns perfectly with his current production tier — not the elite pass rusher many projected when he entered the league, but a reliable contributor who can anchor their defensive front. Young's age works in the Saints' favor here, as he's still young enough to potentially unlock another gear while the guaranteed money ($27.2M) provides reasonable protection without crippling future flexibility. The contract structure suggests New Orleans believes they can maximize Young's talent in their system without betting the farm on a full breakout that may never come. This deal represents smart asset management — the Saints avoided both the mistake of letting quality depth walk and the trap of paying for unrealized potential at premium prices.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Chase's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Chase Young, the former No. 2 overall pick, has quietly rebuilt his reputation as a legitimate starting defensive end after years of injury setbacks derailed his promising early career. Now in New Orleans, the 27-year-old earns a solid B grade, carving out a role as a reliable, above-average pass rusher with renewed consistency. He's not the transcendent force Washington once envisioned, but he's re-established himself as a meaningful contributor worth watching. The numbers this season tell an encouraging story. Young is generating sacks at an elite rate of 0.83 per game — well above both the NFL average of 0.19 and the elite threshold of 0.66 — signaling a genuine pass-rush resurgence. His QB hits rate of 1.25 per game also sits above average, though his TFL rate of 0.42 per game falls short of the elite mark of 0.68, suggesting he still struggles to consistently finish plays against the run. That gap between pass-rush production and run-stopping impact remains his most visible weakness heading into the offseason. His season-grade trajectory — improving from a C+ in 2023 to a B- in 2024, and now trending toward B+ in 2025 — suggests a player who has found his footing and is building momentum rather than fading. If Young can close the TFL gap and sustain his elite sack pace across a full healthy season, an A-range breakout is within reach. The Saints will need that upward trajectory to continue if he's to justify a long-term commitment.

How Chase Compares at the Position

Chase Young ranks 21st of 147 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Chase between Travon Walker (B+) just ahead and Carl Granderson (B) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Inside the New Orleans Saints ecosystem, the take on Chase Young settles at a A- sentiment grade. The media narrative around him has crystallized into a genuine redemption story—a respected defensive end who has fully integrated into the Saints' defensive culture, with recent headlines emphasizing his readiness, leadership, and public advocacy for veteran continuity like Cameron Jordan, rather than dwelling on any performance concerns or roster instability. His 2025 season production of 38 tackles and 10 sacks across 12 games validates the optimism without quite reaching the elite tier, which explains why his B performance grade sits slightly beneath the A- sentiment—the on-field output is legitimately impressive but the narrative hype has outpaced the statistical leap into truly dominant territory. Recent team moves signal organizational confidence: the Saints have been active in defensive reinforcement (adding linebacker Jackson Sirmon and defensive tackle Christen Miller), and media coverage has framed Young not as a reclamation project but as a cornerstone piece of a defensive rebuild, a positioning that has landed well with the fan base heading into the regular season. The bottom line is that Young has shed the underperformer label entirely and enters 2026 with momentum, minimal skepticism in the media landscape, and a clear role as a leader on a Saints defense trying to climb out of a 6-11 basement season.