Defensive finish Chase Younger has signed a one-year, totally assured $13 million take care of the New Orleans Saints, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler on Monday.
The Saints introduced the settlement however didn’t launch phrases.
Younger, who was traded from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers this previous season, visited with the Saints on Monday and likes the setup of the protection, sources informed ESPN.
“I undoubtedly plan so as to add piece,” Younger stated in a video convention with New Orleans reporters Monday night time. “I’ll let my play do the speaking.”
The 49ers acquired Younger on the commerce deadline, sending a compensatory third-round choose to the Commanders to bolster their expertise at edge rusher.
In San Francisco, Younger grew to become a outstanding a part of the Niners’ rush packages, working in behind Clelin Ferrell in apparent passing conditions. He had 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles with 16 pressures in 9 regular-season video games with the 49ers. He additionally had a sack within the 49ers’ Tremendous Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
For the season, Younger, 24, tied a career-high with 7.5 sacks, including 25 tackles and 41 pressures between Washington and San Francisco.
“I really feel like in each space of my recreation, I can develop. I am nonetheless a younger participant,” Younger stated. “I’ll do my greatest to verify [the Saints] know they did not choose the incorrect one.”
The Commanders used the No. 2 total choose within the 2020 NFL draft on Younger. He handled a torn proper ACL in 2021 that value him a lot of the 2022 season, as he appeared in simply 12 video games over two seasons.
The Saints have been within the pass-rusher market since final fall, though they didn’t make any strikes on the commerce deadline final 12 months. They completed the 2023 season ranked twenty eighth with 34 sacks, their lowest complete since 2016.
The Saints have invested excessive draft picks in pass-rushers, choosing Payton Turner within the first spherical of the 2021 draft and Isaiah Foskey within the second spherical of the 2023 draft, however neither had a sack final 12 months. Foskey was a wholesome scratch for a lot of the season, and Turner performed in solely two video games due to harm.
The Saints signed 27-year-old Carl Granderson and 34-year-old Cameron Jordan to extensions final fall. Jordan, a 2011 first-round choose, was the final Saints pass-rusher to have double-digit sacks when he completed with 12.5 sacks through the 2021 season. He performed in each recreation final season however handled a number of accidents, ending with 2.5 sacks.
“This place, I had a sense. My mother at all times stated belief my intestine,” Younger stated. “I felt like this was your best option for me.”
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Katherine Terrell and The Related Press contributed to this report.