49ers trade for Washington DE Chase Young
The San Francisco 49ers have bolstered their defense by trading for Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young hours before the National Football League trading deadline.
The 49ers confirmed the trade on Wednesday afternoon after it was first reported by Fox NFL Sunday reporter Jay Glazer on Tuesday. The team would be sending a third-round pick in 2024 to the Commanders for Young, who was the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Young was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year and selected to the Pro Bowl in 2020. He suffered a major knee injury in the 2021 season which also forced him to miss most of last season.
Young will be reunited with his former Ohio State Buckeyes teammate Nick Bosa, who - like Young - left Ohio St. in his senior year to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, where he was also selected as the second overall pick by the 49ers.
After holding out during the entire preseason, Bosa agreed just before the start of the regular season to a five-year, $170 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
Bosa and the 49ers' other star defensive linemen - including Javon Hargrave (4-year, $84 million contract in 2023) and Arik Armstead 4-year $85 million extension in 2020) - are under the spotlight because of their mediocre pass rush which has netted just 18 quarterback sacks this season, tied for 18 out of 32 teams. The team currently ranks 27th in the NFL league in generating sacks on 5.5% of pass plays, after being fifth over the previous two seasons at 7.5%.
The vaunted 49ers defensive unit, which also includes All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga, have given 400+ yards of offense in consecutive losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers are on a three-game skid after starting the season with five straight wins, with the defensive getting pushed up and down the field.
The recent struggles on the defense have also placed scrutiny on 1st-year defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. However, the 49ers offense has also struggled lately with the absence of star players like T Trent Williams and WR Deebo Samuel due to injury.
The 49ers will go back to the drawing board and look to get healthy with a bye on the schedule this week.
