Jeremy Chinn looked like he was on the verge of stardom during his rookie season in 2020. A second-round pick from Southern Illinois, Chinn started 15 games and recorded 117 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, two touchdowns, and five passes defended.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Chinn finished second in the NFL — behind Washington defensive end Chase Young — in the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
What a difference a few years makes — for Chinn and Young. The Commanders traded Young last season after he failed to live up to his potential as a former No. 2 overall pick.
As for Chinn, he participated in just 39% of Carolina’s defensive snaps in 2023 after playing in over 90% of the snaps in his first three seasons. Part of Chinn’s struggles were due to multiple coaching changes, injuries, or coaches not knowing how to use Chinn best.
So Chinn entered free agency in March, looking for the right place to play on a “prove-it deal.” He chose Washington primarily because he believed new head coach Dan Quinn could help turn his career around.
With Chinn on a one-year deal with the Commanders, is this a make-or-break year?
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports believes it is but sees good things for Chinn and the Commanders.
But I’ll focus on Chinn because he’s another Commanders player who’s produced at high level in the NFL and boasts the talent to be a foundational piece of Washington’s defensive unit for a long time. He also could be on this third team in three years if he doesn’t return to his early form in 2024.
Chinn, now 26, is playing on a one-year deal for less than $5 million this season, and it comes after a nightmarish 2023 in which he appeared on 27.1% of Carolina’s defensive snaps without serious injuries keeping him off the field. Remember, Chinn is a serious specimen for the safety spot — 6-foot-3 and 221-pounds with elite 4.45 speed and a 41-inch vertical. He has the built-in-a-lab size and athleticism to be half-safety, half-linebacker when more is being asked from the safety position than ever before.
His new head coach, Dan Quinn, had a front-row seat to Kam Chancellor in Seattle, and Donovan Wilson and Markquese Bell became two quality, hard-hitting safeties in Dallas. Chinn should blossom under Quinn’s watch.
Chinn looks like the prototypical Quinn defender. He has size and speed and has proven he can succeed in the NFL. If he can remain healthy, the 2024 season could be a breakout year for him, and the Commanders would likely look to lock him up beyond next season.