The Washington Commanders placed four players on the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, including defensive end Chase Young and tight end Logan Thomas. Washington also placed starting center Chase Roullier and reserve offensive lineman Tyler Larsen on the list.
Players can return at any time off the PUP list during camp.
There's a chance Young won't be ready to play until mid-September at the earliest, one source said recently.
"Chase is probably the one that there is the most concern as far as the time," Washington coach Ron Rivera said. "He's been working hard. His rehab's been going well from what we've seen and what we understand. ... [But] we'll have to wait and see on that one."
Young suffered a torn right ACL on Nov. 14. With a typical ACL surgery, Young could have returned in nine months -- or mid-August.
However, Young's recovery period lengthened because he needed a graft from his left patellar tendon to reconstruct the ACL.
Young spent most of the offseason rehabbing in Colorado with Chris Knott, a former strength and conditioning coach for professional and college teams. Knott also worked with him in Ashburn, Virginia, when Young attended most of Washington's OTA sessions as well as its mandatory minicamp. Young recorded 1.5 sacks last season, his second in the NFL.
Washington's coaches remain upbeat about his potential, though they have impressed on him the need to alter his pass-rush approach -- taking fewer stutter steps and using more of his quickness off the ball to overpower tackles.
That tactic, plus recovering from a hip injury, led to a strong second-half finish to his rookie season. In his last seven games, Young recorded four of his 7.5 sacks, forced three fumbles and returned one for a touchdown.
Thomas tore his left ACL and MCL on Dec. 5, but the team remains optimistic about his timetable for return. There was some hope he would not have to open on the PUP list after what the team considered to be a strong offseason. But Rivera said that while Thomas has looked good, "he'll be down the line a little bit."
Thomas was limited to six games last season because of a hamstring issue and then the torn ligaments, but he remains a vital part of the offense.
Since signing with Washington in the 2020 offseason, Thomas has caught a combined 90 passes in 22 games. He caught 35 in his first three seasons at the position after switching from quarterback.
Roullier, who fractured his left fibula on Oct. 31, said in June that he expected to be ready "sometime during training camp."
Rivera said Roullier might be the first one off the PUP list. But Roullier also admitted his recovery was longer because of some "serious things" that happened to his ankle in addition to the fibula injury. Roullier has started 54 games since 2018. Larsen, his primary backup, tore his left Achilles tendon on Dec. 12.
Washington also placed reserve offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas on the active/non-football illness list.