ASHBURN, Va. Once his move into the Playoffs was secure, Washington Chase Young’s defensive ending clarified what he wanted: Tom Brady and it’s a wish that hasn’t changed days later, even as his statement sparked controversy.
After last Sunday night’s game in which Washington took the NFC East title, Young was caught on camera saying, “Tom Brady, Tom Brady, here I come! I want Tom! I want Tom! ”.
“I’m excited to compete against the best. It is the job of the media to create controversy. When they know me, they know I get turned on with every game, ”said Young. “Tom Brady, do you think I’m not keen on playing the best ever? I’m not going to apologize for saying I want (beat) Tom. No, I always want the quarterback I play against. “
Young gets his shot at Brady when Washington is visited by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional Playoff Round on Saturday-evening.
During the season, Young, the second overall collegiate pick in the final draft, bagged 7.5 and led Washington with four forced fumbles and one back for a touchdown. He is seventh in the league with a 22.5 percent quarterback push victory, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and is second in that category in the last seven games with 26.9 percent.
Still, Brady has only been fired 21 times, the fourth lowest number in the league for quarterbacks who have started at least 15 games.
“Ask every defensive goal in the league who they want to catch and the majority could say Tom Brady,” said Young.
In recent days, Ron Rivera, a Washington coach, said that what Young said would become “controversial” for Tampa Bay.
“They are going to have fun with it. You’re dealing with the exuberance of the youth, but that’s Chase, ”Rivera said. “It embarrasses me, but at the same time I laugh because Chase loves this sport. That’s what it’s about. This is Chase. They are the kind of players we want on the team.
Brady, 43, didn’t take the bait, even though his face seemed to say it all on a video conference.
“(Chase) is clearly a great young player. We will have our hands full on that line of defense, one of the best in this league. Chase is a great player. He went to the state of Ohio, so of course the Ohio-Michigan rivalry has a bit to do with it too. I understand. We are up for the challenge and it should be a fun game, ”said Brady.
Young’s exuberance has been evident throughout the season with emotional speeches leading up to games and on the bench as he cheering over the offense. During a loss to Carolina, when backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke replaced Dwayne Haskins, Young ran onto the field after a timeout to motivate Heinicke.
By hiring Brady, Young gets one more chance to vent his excitement.
“I am absolutely thrilled to meet the best player in history. It’s time to play, ”Young stressed.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine contributed to this report.