Washington Commanders Edge Rusher Expected to Return In Week 15

The Washington Commanders have a timeline for the return of their premier young pass rusher. ESPN's Christ Mortenson reports defensive end Chase Young is expected to return from his lingering knee injury in the team's Week 15 matchup with the New York Giants.

Commanders DE Chase Young’s return indeed will be against the @Giants - in two weeks.
Young is out today vs. Giants but @Commanders have a bye only to play the same division rival in week 15.
The plan is for Young to make debut then, more than a year since major knee surgery.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) December 4, 2022

The Commanders' bye in Week 14 will allow Young to get another couple of weeks of uninterrupted rehab in before his return. The third-year edge rusher has yet to play since tearing his ACL in Week 9 of the 2021 regular season.

Young's eventual comeback should provide a valuable boost to a surprising 7-5-1 Commanders team as they push for the playoffs. They've allowed the 10th fewest points and the seventh-fewest yards in the league through 12 weeks, but they could benefit from an improved pass rush. They rank 13th in net yards allowed per passing attempt.

Young initially joined the Commanders as their second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He rewarded them with immediate stardom, earning a Pro Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his debut season. He has missed 21 consecutive games since that fateful ACL injury in his second year.