LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - The National Football League announced Thursday that Washington defensive end Chase Young has been named both the NFC Defensive Player and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for December.
Young becomes the sixth NFC Defensive Player of the Month in franchise history and first since linebacker London Fletcher took home the honor in 2012. He is the first Washington player to win a player of the month award since quarterback Kirk Cousins did so in November of 2016. Young is the first rookie in franchise history to ever win a player of the month honor. It is the first NFC Defensive Player and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month awards of Young's career.
In the last five games, Young tallied 17 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three passes defensed and a touchdown.
Young became the first player in franchise history to record two games in a single season with a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a sack when he did so in Weeks 14 and 16. In the Week 14 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Young recorded an eight-yard sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, one tackle for loss and two passes defensed.
He became the first player in Washington franchise history to record a fumble return touchdown, a forced fumble and a sack in a single game and became the first rookie in NFL history and third player in overall to record a fumble return touchdown, forced fumble, fumble recovery, sack and two-plus passes defensed in a single game.
During the month, Young became the second player in NFL history to register at least two games in their rookie season with a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a sack, joining Terrell Suggs [3] in 2003. Young and Suggs both accomplished the feat in a single month.
