Saints sign DE Young to $13M deal, sources say

Defensive end Chase Young has signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $13 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Monday.

The Saints announced the agreement but did not release terms.

Young, who was traded from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers this past season, visited with the Saints on Monday and likes the setup of the defense, sources told ESPN.

“I definitely plan to add a good piece,” Young said in a video conference with New Orleans reporters Monday night. “I’m going to let my play do the talking.”

The 49ers acquired Young at the trade deadline, sending a compensatory third-round pick to the Commanders to bolster their talent at edge rusher.

In San Francisco, Young became a prominent part of the Niners’ rush packages, working in behind Clelin Ferrell in obvious passing situations. He had 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles with 16 pressures in nine regular-season games with the 49ers. He also had a sack in the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

For the season, Young, 24, tied a career-high with 7.5 sacks, adding 25 tackles and 41 pressures between Washington and San Francisco.

“I feel like in every area of my game, I can grow. I’m still a young player,” Young said. “I’m going to do my best to make sure [the Saints] know they didn’t pick the wrong one.”

The Commanders used the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Young. He dealt with a torn right ACL in 2021 that cost him most of the 2022 season, as he appeared in just 12 games over two seasons.

The Saints have been in the pass-rusher market since last fall, although they did not make any moves at the trade deadline last year. They finished the 2023 season ranked 28th with 34 sacks, their lowest total since 2016.

The Saints have invested high draft picks in pass-rushers, selecting Payton Turner in the first round of the 2021 draft and Isaiah Foskey in the second round of the 2023 draft, but neither had a sack last year. Foskey was a healthy scratch for most of the season, and Turner played in only two games because of injury.

The Saints signed 27-year-old Carl Granderson and 34-year-old Cameron Jordan to extensions last fall. Jordan, a 2011 first-round pick, was the last Saints pass-rusher to have double-digit sacks when he finished with 12.5 sacks during the 2021 season. He played in every game last season but dealt with several injuries, finishing with 2.5 sacks.

“This place, I had a feeling. My mom always said trust my gut,” Young said. “I felt like this was the best choice for me.”

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Katherine Terrell and The Associated Press contributed to this report.