Editor’s note: Welcome to our series on the big questions the Commanders face when camp opens Tuesday in Ashburn. Today: When will Chase Young and others be healthy?
Chase Young, Chase Roullier and Logan Thomas all essentially admitted the same thing this offseason: Their injuries were more severe than initially thought.
Thomas, for instance, said doctors didn’t understand the full extent of his left knee injury — that he not only tore his ACL, but also his MCL and both meniscuses — until they cut it open for surgery.
Young revealed that the surgery for his right torn ACL differed from the traditional repair. He told reporters that famous surgeon Dr. James Andrews had to open up his healthy left knee and take a graft from his patellar tendon to reconstruct the other side.
Roullier said there were “some pretty serious things” that happened to his ankle in addition to fracturing his left fibula last October. Washington’s starting center kept the details vague, but added that there was “a lot of stuff to recover from.”
The complexity of the injuries is partially why it has been hard to project when the three will be fully recovered, though each player says he still hopes to be ready by the start of the season in September.
Coach Ron Rivera has been far less reticent to put any timetable on their recoveries, though that’s not out of the norm for how he usually handles injuries.
In the short term, the pressing question is just how much each player will be able to participate in training camp — if it all. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see all three open up next week’s camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) — a procedural move that differs from the regular-season PUP list.
In camp, players can come off the list at any time. Once the regular season starts, players on the PUP have to wait at least six weeks before being activated to the active roster.
The timetable for recovery likely differs by the player.
“The season-ending injuries,” Rivera said last month, “we got to see where they are when they report on the 26th (of July) … as far as when they’ll be clear to play.”
Young’s recovery is arguably the most vital to Washington’s chances in 2022. The young pass-rusher was already having a disappointing season before hurting his knee in November as he had only produced 1½ sacks last year.
As a rookie, Young’s emergence helped fuel Washington’s late-season surge to the playoffs in 2020. But a year later, the Commanders did not get nearly enough from their edge rushers. According to Football Outsiders, Washington got the least amount of production from its edge rushers in the league. Its two primary starters in Young and Montez Sweat combined for only 6½ sacks after combining for 16½ a year earlier.
Young has been working in Colorado to rehab the injury.
“Things happen in life, and it’s really just how you respond,” Young said. “I’m going to respond very well.”
Traditionally, recoveries for an ACL injury vary anywhere from eight to 12 months.
For Thomas, coaches have indicated that the tight end is progressing. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner even said Thomas is ahead of schedule before quickly backtracking. The tight end was often seen on the side field in the spring, working his rehab with trainers.
Thomas got hurt in December when then-Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue took out his legs. Speaking to reporters last month, Thomas said he’s happy with his recovery so far. He said the team would “play it by ear” when asked how much he’ll be able to contribute during camp.
“I would love to be back for Week 1,” Thomas said. “That’s my goal. … If not, so be it.”
Of the three, Roullier is the only one to outright express optimism that he’ll be able to participate in camp. The 28-year-old said his goal was to be ready sometime during camp.
“I’m not just going to get thrown out there and take all the reps immediately,” the center said. “I’ll be able to kind of work my in and so I’m able to feel confident on (my leg) and get back on it.”
The Commanders have other health questions, as well. Center Tyler Larsen, Roullier’s backup, is coming off a torn Achilles injury. There will also undoubtedly be a focus on Curtis Samuel — whose groin and hamstring injuries limited him to just six games last year.
Unlike the others, Samuel was able to practice in offseason workouts. But the wide receiver was only out there in three of the six sessions available to reporters. Rivera insisted that the Commanders were just being cautious with Samuel’s health, but after Samuel’s turbulent first season with Washington, it’s understandable why people could be skeptical.
“We’re being very careful, very smart with him,” Rivera said of Samuel. “He’s a guy who we think would be very important to us.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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