ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders defensive end Chase Young said he “definitely” feels closer to being on the field and that he was able to “cut loose” in practice Wednesday more than he had previously.
Young has not played since tearing the ACL and rupturing the patellar tendon in his right knee last season in Week 10. He was able to start practicing Nov. 2 but has not been active for any games. There have been times he has felt good at the start of the week only to feel differently by the end, preventing him from playing.
On Sunday, Washington coach Ron Rivera said Young, the second overall pick in 2020, would play this season. His debut could come Saturday when Washington (7-6-1) plays at San Francisco (10-4) in a pivotal game for playoff positioning. The Commanders hold the seventh and final spot. If Young plays, he would be limited to around 10 to 15 snaps.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, another No. 2 draft pick (2016 in his case), also might return — if the offense continues to struggle under quarterback Taylor Heinicke against the 49ers and the game starts to get out of hand. Wentz hasn’t played since Oct. 13, when he broke his right ring finger.
Meanwhile, Rivera has said the Commanders want to see Young “cut it loose” with his knee in practice to show his confidence level. They have not always seen that during his recovery, but Young said he was able to do that Wednesday.
“Every day I feel I’m getting better,” he said. “Every day I feel like I’m getting stronger and more comfortable.”
Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery on Young last year, met with the third-year end before Washington played the New York Giants on Sunday. Andrews told Young the knee was good. Young said he’d eventually like to detail the extent of his recovery. But for now, he said, he must stay patient.
“I wish it was a faster process,” he said.
For Wentz, he said the time off has helped.
“It allowed me to get healthier everywhere else,” he said. “In a weird way that time off helped me feel fresh.”
He said the long break helped him learn more of the offense and also see how it has developed into a run-based attack.
“Anytime you’re out, you gain a new perspective,” he said, “how you handle things and how you go forward with life in general. Definitely don’t take it for granted.”