New 49ers edge rusher Chase Young excited for the chance to play for a contender

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Chase Young summed up his reaction to being traded from struggling Washington to a perennial contender in San Francisco quite simply.

“I wasn't mad,” Young said.

And with good reason.

After spending his first three-plus seasons in the NFL with a franchise that hasn't experienced success in decades, Young welcomed the trade last week to a 49ers team that made it to the NFC title game the past two seasons.

“Just the culture, the vibe is a lot different. I definitely know I’m in a building with winners,” Young said Monday after taking part in his first practice with San Francisco.

“The spirit in the locker room. The spirit of the coaches. It’s just different. Kind of like the same thing at Ohio State where you’re expected to win. It’s just like vibe of, ‘We’re going to win.’ ... I’m just excited to be blessed with the opportunity to be with this franchise.”

The Niners (5-3) acquired Young last week from Washington for a compensatory third-round pick just before the trade deadline.

Making the move West even sweeter for Young was the opportunity to reunite with his former college teammate and “big brother” Nick Bosa, who has had a big influence on Young's development.

“It was literally like five minutes after they (the trade), he called me and was like, ‘Bro!’ ” Young said. “It was a good moment. Even in college, we never thought that we would ever play with each other again. It’s a blessing.”

Young was the second overall pick in the 2020 draft — a year after Bosa went No. 2 to San Francisco — and has been playing at a high level this season after two injury-filled years.

Young has five sacks in seven games this season — two more than anyone on the 49ers — and is tied for eighth in the league with 38 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

He won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year with 7 1/2 sacks in 2020, but only played 12 games the past two seasons because of a knee injury.

After a fast start to the season, San Francisco’s defense has struggled during the recent losing streak. The Niners had no sacks on 45 pass attempts in a loss to Minnesota in Week 7 and were picked apart last week by Joe Burrow and Cincinnati.

The Niners rank 27th in the NFL this season by generating sacks on 5.5% of pass plays, after being fifth over the previous two seasons at 7.5%.

They hope the addition of Young to a defensive line that already includes Bosa; defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead; and recently acquired edge rusher Randy Gregory will help San Francisco return to its dominant form.

“It's going to be a race to the quarterback,” Young said.

NOTES: WR Deebo Samuel (shoulder) returned to practice after missing the past two games. ... LT Trent Williams (ankle) didn't participate in the light practice Monday but could return later this week. ... The Niners opened the practice windows for DL Robert Beal Jr., CB Samuel Womack III and CB Darrell Luter Jr., who have been sidelined all season.

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