The New Orleans Saints have a very intriguing pass rusher heading to the open market next week.
New Orleans signed 2020 National Football League Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winner Chase Young last offseason to a one-year, $13 million deal. He had 5.5 sacks in 17 games played and is heading to the open market.
Where will he go if he doesn’t return to New Orleans? Pro Football Network’s Sterling Xie made a list of “bold” predictions and linked Young to the Arizona Cardinals.”Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Chase Young,” Xie said. “Chase Young appears to be improving after a couple of injury-plagued years. He had back-to-back years with 66 pressures and pressure rates of 14.7% and 14.6% in those two seasons. He was not as impactful in terms of sacks in 2024 as in 2023, though his 5.5 sacks would have led the Arizona Cardinals in 2024. Most importantly, Young has stayed on the field after injuries ruined his time in Washington.
“Young played 697 snaps last season after playing 699 the year before. Both those numbers exceed his total of 565 snaps from the 2021-22 seasons combined. The Cardinals are in dire need of edge rushing help after finishing 25th in pressure rate last season. Adding a player like Young could bolster the 27th-ranked defense in PFSN’s Defense+ rankings from 2024.”
Arizona’s subpar pass rush has been discussed since before the 2024 season even kicked off. The Cardinals didn’t have a great year and have the money needed to add someone like Young. This doesn’t necessarily seem “bold” but sounds more like a realistic hypothetical fit.
