A few weeks into this year’s NFL preseason, there have been a number of injuries across the league.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is out with a calf strain, and in Thursday’s preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles, multiple players suffered injuries that required them to be carted off the field.
Washington Commanders defensive lineman Chase Young suffered what was called a stinger days ago in the team’s first preseason game, and head coach Ron Rivera gave an update on his progress, via Ben Standig.
Chase Young (stinger) injury update from Ron Rivera:
"This is all about getting past a certain point with the doctors and then we'll go from there. But he's going to be out here. He's allowed to do everything except for contact right now.”
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 18, 2023
The Commanders will have an uphill climb to simply make the playoffs this season, and not having Young for any period of time will hurt them significantly.
He was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and as a rookie, he was a force to be reckoned with, as he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
But he has had trouble staying on the field ever since.
In 2021, he tore his ACL and patellar tendon, which limited him to nine games that year, and in 2022 he only managed to play in three contests.
Washington plays in one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL, as they have to contend with the defending NFC champion Eagles, the improved Dallas Cowboys, and the upstart New York Giants.
They were recently purchased by a group headlined by billionaire investor Josh Harris and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, and they’re hoping for a change of fortunes on the field.
The Commanders have made the playoffs just six times since the early 1990s, and they last won a playoff game in the 2005 season.
NEXT: Sam Howell Speaks On His Ability To Lead The Commanders
