The Chicago Bears and Willie Young have reportedly agreed on a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Chicago until the 2018 NFL season.
Chicago Bears outside linebackers Willie Young has flourished since coming over to the team from the Detroit Lions, and on Saturday, it was reported that he would be staying there for at least the next few seasons.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan tweeted out on Saturday that Young and Bears had agreed on a two-year contract extension through 2018.
#Bears OLB Willie Young has agreed to a 2-year contract extension through 2018, source said. He was on the final year of his contract.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) July 30, 2016
The 2016 season would have been his last on his current contract, so the deal makes sense for both the Bears and Young, and for the veteran pass rusher, it is what he wanted all along.
Earlier this offseason, Young expressed his desire to stay with the Bears for the rest of his career.
“I would like to be here long-term,” Young said during the Bears’ OTAs in June. “Absolutely. I would like to finish my career up here in Chicago.”
Young has come a long way in his NFL journey, after being selected by the Detroit Lions in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. After a few seasons in Detroit, Young signed with the Bears in March of 2014 to backup Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen and has severely outplayed both.
Young has started 16 of the 30 games he has appeared in the last two seasons for the Bears, racking up 16.5 sacks, including a team-high 10 sacks in 2014. He has turned into one of the better defensive players on the team the past few years, and now he will get to play at least the next three season in Chicago.
The Chicago Bears open up their 2016 regular season on the road, as they face the Houston Texans on September 11. Expect Young to be chasing Brock Osweiler all day long, as the young quarterback will be making his first start for the Texans.
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