Upon his arrival in Santa Clara last year, running back Christian McCaffrey had just 48 hours to acclimate to his new offense before suiting up against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Newly acquired defensive end Chase Young will have considerably more time than that, including getting a week's worth of practice under his belt before stepping on the field with his new teammates. The San Francisco 49ers are currently on their bye week. Young arrived yesterday to undergo his physical, the last step needed to finalize the trade from the Washington Commanders.
While most players are away until Monday, one has chosen to remain in the building to ensure Young's transition to a new defense is as smooth as possible. That person is none other than Young's former teammate from Ohio State, Nick Bosa.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, "Bosa is sticking around Santa Clara during the bye, and his plan is to give Young a crash course in the 49ers defense so he hits the ground running when practice resumes next week."
The two players have maintained a close relationship since their college days together. The 49ers are banking on their mutual respect for one another to create instant chemistry along a defensive line that seeks to rediscover its mojo.
Collectively, the 49ers have 18 sacks after eight weeks of action, tied for the 18th most in the NFL. Young's five sacks this season immediately make him the team leader in that category. No other 49ers defender has more than three sacks this season.
Reacting to the news that the 49ers have a new sack leader, general manager John Lynch, during a radio interview, exclaimed, "Wow, I guess I was aware of that but not thinking of that. I liked his film. I liked turning it on and seeing what he was doing on a week in, week out effort."
Young will also benefit from support along the defensive line, with enough depth to ensure he gets in-game breaks and remains fresh.
"It's also hard to see him ever getting the huge snap numbers he was seeing this season with the Commanders," Barrows noted. "Young played 75 snaps in a Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and has logged more than 60 in two other games this season.
"Bosa never has hit the 70 mark since entering the league in 2019. Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek will spell both players with Clelin Ferrell and Randy Gregory, which also ought to keep Young sharp and focused."