SANTA CLARA — Chase Young still owns a home about 20 minutes from the Washington Commanders’ facility, and he plans to visit his dogs there Saturday when the 49ers’ players get a sliver of free time.
Then comes Sunday’s reunion. Young has obvious motivation and insight when facing his old team, which drafted him No. 2 overall in 2020 and traded him two months ago to the 49ers in his contract year.
“This week is a huge one for him,” fellow defensive end Nick Bosa said. “He’s already pretty hyped up about it and excited, so we’re going to try and play our best game for him.”
Young did his best Wednesday to downplay his return as “just playing football,” but there’s no doubt he’s glad to be playing it on a different team.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 is landed on by San Francisco 49ers’ Chase Young #92 in the first quarter of their NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
He won his first six games with the NFC West-champion 49ers, who remain in control of their playoff destiny as to whether they can lock up the NFC playoffs’ No. 1 seed and wild-card bye.
Rather than ponder their future, Young said the 49ers (11-4) have “tunnel vision right now,” and that means not overlooking the Commanders (4-11). “They’re definitely a team that is going to fight to the end. I know that,” Young said.
The Commanders erased a 20-0 deficit last Saturday against the New York Jets before losing on a field goal in the final seconds. With their losing streak at six, Washington coach Ron Rivera announced Wednesday he’ll start quarterback Jacoby Brissett over Sam Howell.
Brissett is on his fifth team in eight years, he’s 18-30 as a starter, and he only joined Washington this season, but Young got enough of a scouting report practicing against him before getting traded Oct. 31 to the 49ers for a 2024 third-round pick
“Jacoby knows how to manage a game, knows how not to lose a game,” Young said. “He’s been in the league a lot of years so he knows how to play that position very well. We just have to be on our assignment. If we do that, everything will take care of itself.”
Young had five sacks the first seven games with Washington this season, and he has 2 1/2 in as many games with the 49ers. Another key difference: He’s playing 54% of the snaps and has yet to start. At Washington, he played 73% of the snaps, including a staggering 75 one game, which is a ton for someone who tore an ACL midway through the 2021 season and missed essentially 1 1/2 seasons.
San Francisco 49ers defensive ends Chase Young, right, and Nick Bosa talk during a practice on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Bosa said his former Ohio State teammate has done amazing and is improvingly weekly. Young is slated to become a free agent at season’s end. “Coming into this great organization and the locker room, anything they did was show me love in here,” Young said. “Just being around guys and being able to learn from Nick, Trent (Williams), George Kittle, everybody, it’s helped me, for sure.”
“He’s had a great impact,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s played the run well, he’s played the pass well, he’s helped with the rotation, he’s kept everyone effective in pressure, and we’re happy to have him.”
Young helped make an early impact Monday night when he joined the 49ers’ pursuit of Lamar Jackson and landed on him in the end zone, with Jackson drawing an intentional-grounding penalty for a safety and 2-0 Niners’ lead.
PURDY’S FOUR-PICK AFTERMATH
Quarterback Brock Purdy turned 24 on Wednesday, a day after watching film with Shanahan and analyzing more than just the four interceptions. “Between Brock and I just talking, where I thought he struggled the most was after the four picks,” Shanahan said. “His first pick was a bad mistake, and the next three were unfortunate ones that you don’t make excuses for, but they’re just tough football plays.”
Purdy, once assured of his first-career four-interception game, went on to complete 8-of-13 pass for 107 yards with two sacks, the final one of which resulted in a nerve stinger in his left shoulder and sent him to the sideline for the remainder of the game.
“It’s tough to play a lot of football after you have four picks, especially when you’re down against that type of defense,” Shanahan added. “That was the best experience for him, how to feel that, to know why it’s happened and to still sling it around and play.”
Purdy still leads the NFL with a 112.2 passer rating, which is just behind the 49ers-best marks of Steve Young (112.8 in 1994) and Joe Montana (112.4 in 1989). Purdy’s 4,050 passing yards are second-most in the NFL this season, and third-most in 49ers’ history, with him now 228 yards shy of Jeff Garcia’s record (in 2000) and 120 yards behind Young’s 1998 total. Purdy ranks third in the NFL with a 68.8 completion percentage, and his 29 touchdowns are the league’s second-most and just seven shy of Young’s 1998 franchise record.
CLOSURE OF MONDAY LOSS
Once Wednesday’s 12:25 p.m. team meeting began, Shanahan launched into his film review and the 49ers were able to get closure on their 33-19 debacle Monday night against the Ravens. “It stinks. We were so hyped up for an opportunity to show the world how good we are,” Bosa said, “but I think Kyle did a real good job in the team meeting today of putting it to bed and we’re moving on.
“When you look at it, there’s a lot of silver linings,” Bosa added, “and with a team like this, how we’ve bounced back before and how mature a group we are, I think it could be a benefit for us down the road.”
KEY INJURY UPDATES
Wide receiver Deebo Samuel (neck) and left tackle Trent Williams (groin) took part in Wednesday’s light practice that was conducted without helmets and pads. Also limited were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (hamstring), linebacker Oren Burks (knee) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (knee, hand).
Starting safety Ji’Ayir Brown was added to the injury report and did not practice because of a knee sprain. Also out were left guard Aaron Banks (toe), defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot, knee), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (concussion) and offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion).
VERRETT’S EMOTIONAL RETURN
Cornerback Jason Verrett came away grateful from his five-snap cameo Monday night, and although it involved giving up a touchdown catch to Nelson Agholor early in the third quarter, Verrett overcame tears to his ACL (September 2021) and Achilles (November 2022) to return in a nickel-back role.
“It was a blessing just to be out there, 834 days since I last played on a field,” Verrett said. “I don’t take none of it for granted, because I know how much hard work I put in to get into that moment. Obviously you wish certain plays were different.”
Verrett signed two weeks ago with the 49ers’ practice squad, and after he gave up the touchdown on his third snap, he took a seat in front of the sideline water cooler to compose himself. “For sure I was upset,” Verrett said. “It’s a thing you have to get a feel for being back out there, and an emotional thing. But at the end of the day I was just blessed to be able to be back out there.”
JOSEPH-DAY ARRIVES
Defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day called it a “no-brainer” to sign with the 49ers’ “great organization,” following last week’s release from the Los Angeles Chargers. He declined to comment on why he got waived, but stated: “I don’t think anyone was having a good year over there, you know? I’m focused on now.”
Joseph-Day signed with the Chargers as a free agent last year after three seasons with the Rams, and he has 11 sacks in 69 career games, enough experience to help the 49ers’ depth issues with Armstead sidelined and Hargrave not at full strength. “Obviously I watch how they play: they’re violent, play very fast, play very physical,” Joseph-Day added. “As for the intricacies of the defense, I wasn’t very familiar but they’re catching me up to speed.”
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ROSTER MOVES
The 49ers officially announced Joseph-Day’s signing, as well as the return of offensive tackle Matt Pryor, who got waived Saturday. Running back Jeremey McNichols was waived. Signed to the practice squad were Sebastian Gutierrez and wide receiver Willie Snead IV.
DANNY GRAY MOVEMENT
Wide receiver Danny Gray, out since injuring his shoulder in the preseason, might have a chance to play in his second season. The 49ers opened the three-week practice window to evaluate whether to activate him off the Injured Reserve list, which they’ve done this season with defensive end Robert Beal Jr. and cornerback Sam Womack III.
