One of the club’s best additions, defensive lineman Chase Young, whom the 49ers acquired in a blockbuster trade before the NFL trade deadline in October, will be starting for the team in the playoffs. However, it’s unclear for how long Young will last with a 49ers team that has salary-cap problems this summer. Pro Football Focus has taken notice of it and believes that the Tennessee Titans should challenge Young head-to-head in the summer.
It was certainly understood when the 49ers acquired Young that he might just be a temporary acquisition due to his upcoming free agency. However, he has been a great bookend for Nick Bosa, so it’s possible that the 49ers may make further sacrifices to keep Young around.
According to PFF, “Chase Young is coming off the best season of his NFL career, with a pass-rush grade of 75.8 from 480 pass-rushing snaps and 66 quarterback pressures.” However, it wouldn’t be shocking if he accepted a one-year deal as a prove-it instead of agreeing to a long-term agreement with a lower cap. After the in-season trade, he performed better with the Commanders than the 49ers; nonetheless, he still finished the regular season with 233 snaps and 28 pressures with San Francisco.
49ers Chase Young May Sign a Short-Term Contract
The 49ers may be able to retain Young in free agency this winter if his best offer is for a short-term agreement that keeps them from making a major long-term commitment. For the next season, PFF predicts Young to sign a one-year, $15 million contract, which San Francisco would find acceptable.
According to Spotrac, Young could command a comparable price, around $13.6 million. However, Young has been offered a $27.3 million, two-year contract on the contract site. The 49ers could be put off by the extra year.
Young is undoubtedly keen to remain in San Francisco. He and Bosa were Ohio State teammates in college, and they are both looking forward to their reunion. All season long, the 49ers lacked a quality complement for Bosa, which let other teams concentrate their blocking tactics on him.
“Just having him out there is really good energy,” Bosa told reporters, per 49ers Web Zone. “He’s excited to go out there and play. He wants to get those important reps in the game. And we’re talking before plays, kind of talking about what we’re going to do, and when he causes pressure [or] I cause pressure, it seems like the other guy ends up cleaning it up.”
Bosa has served as a guide.
For his part, Young is really grateful to get the opportunity to play with Bosa. It may make sense for Young to stay with the 49ers after an injury-plagued rookie season, repair his reputation where he feels comfortable with Bosa, and reenter the market the following season.
“When I got to O-State, Nick kind of catered to me,” Young told NBC Sports Bay Area earlier this year. “I think he knew how talented I was coming in there, how I could move and catch on to things as quickly as he did. I felt like he really kind of grabbed me and said, ‘Come here, I’m going to teach you how to be a great player.’”
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