SANTA CLARA — Chase Young returns to the area where he grew up, owns a home, six dogs and played his first 3.5 seasons of professional football.
When he lines up at defensive end for the 49ers against his former team, it will be just another game, he insisted.
But Nick Bosa, a close friend and former Ohio State teammate, offered a different perspective of Young's return to face the Washington Commanders.
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“This week is a huge one for him,” Bosa said of Young. “He’s already pretty hyped up about it and excited, so we’re going to try to play our best game for him.”
Young came to the 49ers on Nov. 1 in a trade from the Commanders for a special-compensatory third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In seven games, Young has 2.5 sacks with his new team. Young also was responsible for a safety on Monday night. He was in pursuit of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was called for intentional grounding as he began to fall while trying to avoid an official in the end zone.
“I think he's had a great impact,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think he's played the run well. I think he's played the pass well. He's helped with the rotations, just keeping everyone out there effective and fresher. I’m really happy to have him.”
San Francisco 49ers
And Young is happy to be with the 49ers, too.
The midseason trade sent him from a team with a 4-11 record to the 49ers, who currently hold the top spot in the NFC playoff seedings with an 11-4 record.
“At the end of the day, it’s just playing football,” Young said. “That’s what I’m trying to do the best I can every snap I get.”
Young has seen a dramatic reduction in his playtime with the 49ers. He played 74 percent of the defensive snaps in his seven games with Washington to 54 percent in the same number of games with the 49ers.
The 49ers feature a rotation along the defensive line with Clelin Ferrell continuing to start and Young mixing into the action as a way to keep everyone fresh.
“I feel like he’s done an amazing job,” Bosa said. “I think he’s gotten better each week and he continues to get better.”
The Commanders pulled the plug on this season at the trade deadline. Young, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was dealt before he likely was to leave in the offseason as a free agent. Washington also traded away defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears.
Washington made another significant change this week. Coach Ron Rivera, who is expected to get fired upon the completion of the season, has opted to replace quarterback Sam Howell.
Veteran Jacoby Brissett will make his 49th career start with his fifth different team.
“Jacoby, he knows how to manage a game,” Young said. “He knows how to not lose a game. He’s been in the league for a lot of years, so he knows how to play that position very well."
The 49ers are heavy favorites, but Young certainly is not looking past his former team -- that much is certain.
“We just got to be on our assignments," he said, "and if we do that, everything should take care of itself.”