LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - It's one thing to poke the bear. It's another thing to poke the G.O.A.T - the acronym for greatest of all time.
Following Sunday's NFC East division-clinching victory at Philadelphia, securing Washington's first playoff appearance in five years, rookie defensive end Chase Young made it clear he was excited about his team's postseason opponent: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Tom Brady! Tom Brady, I'm coming. I want Tom! I want Tom!," Young shouted while skipping off the field at Lincoln Financial Field, as captured in a viral video. Tom Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion, is the quarterback of the Bucs.
"If you know me, and my team knows me - I'm excited for every game," Young explained Wednesday. "Tom Brady? You don't think I'm going to be excited to play against the G.O.A.T? You're trippin. That is what it is. I'm excited to play against big Tom. I'm not going to apologize for saying I want Tom, no. I want Tom Brady. I want every quarterback I play against."
Brady, in his first season with Tampa Bay, was asked about Young's comments.
"He's obviously a great young player," Brady said Wednesday. "We've got our hands full with that D-Line – one of the best D-Lines in the league. Chase is a great young player – he went to Ohio State, so naturally I think that Ohio State-Michigan thing wears off on him a little bit. I understand that. We're prepared for a tough challenge and it should be a fun game."
Brady played his college football at Michigan, Ohio State's arch rival.
This season, Young tallied seven games with at least one full sack - the most in a rookie season in franchise history. The number two overall pick in April's NFL Draft registered 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 15 regular season games.
