ASHBURN, Va. – Washington football team defensive end Chase Young made it clear Sunday night what he wanted this week: Tom Brady. And that hasn’t changed three days later, though some have tried to turn it into bulletin board material.
After winning the NFC East title Sunday in Philadelphia, Young was caught on camera saying, “Tom Brady, Tom Brady, I’m coming! I want Tom! I want Tom.”
“I play ball,” Young said Wednesday. “I’m excited to go against the best. The media, their job is to remove them. If you know me, I’m excited about every game. Tom Brady, you think I’m not excited to play against the GOAT” You trippin . I’m not going to apologize for saying I want Tom. No, I want all the quarterbacks I play against. “
Young will have his chance against Brady when Washington (7-9) hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5) on Saturday night. Young, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, has recorded 7.5 sacks and a maximum of four forced touchdowns. He has returned a sweep for a touchdown. Young ranks seventh with a 22.5% win rate, according to ESPN Stats & Information. And, in the last seven games, he is second with 26.9 percent.
But Brady has been sacked just 21 times, the fourth-lowest in the league for quarterbacks who have started at least 15 games.
“Ask any league runner who they want to fire and most could say Tom Brady,” Young said.
Earlier this week, Young coach Ron Rivera said it will become Tampa’s “bulletin board material.”
“They’ll have a good time. You’ll have to do it to youthful exuberance, but Chase is who he is,” Rivera said. “I’m horrified, but at the same time I’m smiling at him because he loves to play the game. I think that’s what it’s about. Who Chase is. That’s the kind of guy we want on our football team.”
Brady, 43, who will appear Sunday in his 12th game of the NFL season, didn’t take the bait, though his moderate facial expression on a video conference call said it all.
“He’s obviously a great young player,” Brady said. “We have our hands full with this D line, one of the best D lines in the league, so Chase is a great young player. I went to Ohio State so naturally that I think the Ohio State-Michigan thing it wears out. I understand them a little bit. We are ready for a difficult challenge and it should be a fun game. “
Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians had high praise for Young, but also warned the rookie about the bear’s prick.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Arians said. “Obviously, making him a captain as a rookie speaks volumes. Both those kids in the state of Ohio: he and [Terry] McLaurin: They are great children. It’s a handful, but so is it [Montez] Sister, [Daron] Payne, the rest of these guys. Ryan Kerrigan: I’ve had a lot of respect [him] for a long time. We’ll have our hands full, but it’s one of those games where you better see what you want. “
Young’s exuberance has been evident all season. He delivers pre-match speeches and walks to the sidelines during games shouting encouragement at offense. During a loss to Carolina, when quarterback Taylor Heinicke replaced Dwayne Haskins, Young ran on the field for a timeout to bomb Heinicke.
Facing Brady offers Young one more chance to show his enthusiasm.
“I’m definitely excited to play the GOAT,” Young said. “They say he’s the greatest of all time. It’s time to move on.”
ESPN’s Jenna Laine contributed to this report.