The New Orleans Saints had a disaster of an offseason led by the retirement of franchise quarterback Derek Carr.
The Saints also opted to give Chase Young a three-year, $51 million deal that would pay him $17 million a year. This contract was met with mixed reviews considering how spotty Young has been in his NFL career.
NFL Spinzone's Lou Scataglia recently suggested that Young's $51 million deal was the worst contract on New Orleans' payroll.
"Chase Young started zero games for the New Orleans Saints in 2024 and racked up 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 21 QB hits, so he did produce at a decent level, but $17 million per year for the player, who is often seen as someone who isn't always giving 100% effort, was one of the many mistakes Saints GM Mickey Loomis made this offseason," Scataglia wrote. "Young is still only 26 years old, so there could be some upside left, but Chase Young was the type of player to perhaps offer a one-year deal this offseason instead of something longer. This isn't a great contract for the New Orleans Saints."
At the end of the day, Young is still just 26 years old. He has plenty more in the tank. If the young star can get past the injuries and perform like the player he was in college, the Saints might have a steal at $17 million a year.
But it's hard to justify this kind of contract when the production hasn't been there.
Either way, given the fact that Young hasn't played a snap under this new deal, it's hard to judge it yet. This contract will be determined by how well he can produce over the next three years.
