Chase Young was acquired in a trade to make an immediate impact on the 49ers' pursuit of a championship. Still, his future beyond this season remains unclear, with the star defensive end slated to hit free agency this offseason.
The Athletic's Tim Kawakami recently interviewed 49ers general manager John Lynch on "The TK Show" podcast, where he shed some light on San Francisco's long-term plans for Young after Tuesday's trade.
"You always try to forecast, but you know plans change," Lynch told Kawakami. "With Emmanuel [Sanders], we tried to make that happen the following year. We played really well as a team. Emmanuel made a huge contribution, and there was better opportunity for him financially elsewhere. So we go in with an open mind with Chase. I think he's going to be a coveted free agent this offseason; his play has represented someone that would be, with as much [that is] invested, it might be difficult, but I never say never.
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"You bring a guy in, and then you kind of keep figuring things out. I think you do this forecast and planning, but you kind of have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, and a bunch of different scenarios within those. These are 53-man rosters and beyond, and so a lot of things play out as the season just happens. You kind of just add players and figure it out as things go."
After two of his first three seasons were derailed due to injury, Young has shown flashes of the immense potential that led to him being selected No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The former Ohio State standout has recorded five sacks in seven games this season, with his 40 quarterback pressures ranking fifth among all players in the NFL.
While the 49ers did not retain the services of the last pending free agent they acquired mid-season for similar draft capital, the situations between Young and Sanders differ significantly.
San Francisco 49ers
Young will be just 24 years old at the start of the new league year, while Sanders already was over 30 when the 49ers traded for him in October 2019.
It also is worth noting that Lynch's roster construction in San Francisco consistently has prioritized the defensive line, and the opportunity to retain a talented edge rusher entering their prime might prove challenging for the 49ers to pass on regardless of the financial maneuvering it likely would entail.
For now, the focus remains on reinvigorating a 49ers defensive front that has struggled to get home with its pass rush during the current three-game losing streak.