Chase Young is expected to practice with the Washington Commanders this week for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee 11 months ago.
Coach Ron Rivera said Young will take part in positional workouts Wednesday before getting ramped up to participation in team drills at some point. It’s not clear when the young edge rusher will make his season debut.
“He’ll work on the side, and then we’ll see how he is after the day and then going into the next day, and that’ll dictate what our next step is in terms of where he goes from there,” Rivera said Monday on a video call with reporters. “He’s going to have to get back into condition. Believe me: Playing football is completely different from rehabbing, obviously, and the more reps he can get on the practice field prior to stepping onto the game field would be very beneficial to him.”
Washington has three weeks to activate Young off the physically unable to perform list once he resumes practicing.
Young, the 2020 No. 2 pick out of Ohio State who earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors by leading first-year players with 7 1/2 sacks that season, tore the ACL on Nov. 14 against Tampa Bay. He underwent surgery that involved grafting a part of his left patellar tendon on the other side to fix the tear.
Because of that and his long-term value to the franchise, Young, doctors and the team have taken a slow, methodical approach to his recovery process. Rivera said Young had a final checkup with Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery, which was the final step for the 23-year-old to be cleared to practice.
Rivera said Young was “fired up” and looked ready to go upon learning he could start taking part in practice. Still, as they did with rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. on the non-football injury list after being shot twice in an armed robbery, the Commanders plan on taking it slow with Young rather than rushing him back.
BUCCANEERS: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed linebacker Shaquil Barrett on injured reserve and signed two other players to the practice squad.
Barrett suffered a season-ending Achilles injury last Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished with three sacks in 2022, boosting his total to a team-leading 39 1/2 over the past four seasons.
The Bucs also announced that receiver Tyler Johnson and cornerback Ryan Smith were added to the practice squad.
BILLS: The Buffalo Bills intend to activate cornerback Tre’Davious White to their 53-player roster this week some 11 months after the starter tore a ligament in his left knee.
Coach Sean McDermott made the announcement while saying it’s uncertain as to whether White will play in Buffalo’s game at the New York Jets on Sunday.
White opened the season on the physically unable to perform list before being cleared to practice three weeks ago.
TRADE: The Chicago Bears agreed to trade linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.
Smith, the NFL leader in tackles so far this season, joins a Baltimore team that has won two in a row and sits atop the AFC North.
The Ravens have had their issues defensively this season, but they’ve improved in that area and now add a second-team All-Pro to their linebacking group.
It’s the Bears’ second major trade involving a defensive player in less than a week. They dealt three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Robert Quinn to Philadelphia for a 2023 fourth-round pick on Wednesday.
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