Chase Young signs endorsement deal with New Balance as brand's first NFL athlete

Chase Young missed most of the 2022 NFL season with a knee injury, but the former Ohio State standout has continued to build his brand and is now signed to New Balance. The athletic company announced the news on Wednesday in a shared Instagram post with the Washington Commanders defensive lineman.

Young, who was a Pro Bowler and earned defensive rookie of the year honors in 2020, is the first athlete to join Klutch Athletics, a branch of New Balance founded by sports agent Rich Paul "that celebrates the intersection of sport, culture, and community," according to the company's website. The brand's first apparel offering, which features T-shirts, shorts and sweatpants, drops April 27.

“I’m excited to welcome Chase to Klutch Athletics,” Paul said in a statement. “He aligns perfectly with the brand based on his talent, his values and his fit with our team. In Chase, I see someone who embodies the spirit of what it means to Be Klutch. We are focused on uplifting and empowering all athletes, and I believe Chase will help us achieve that.”

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"It's a big opportunity that I was blessed with," Young said in an interview with FanNation Kicks. "Growing up as a kid, you just think about getting to the NFL and to the Hall of Fame. You really don't think about everything outside of the sport, but I got a little bit older, and now it's an opportunity and blessing that I want to take advantage of."

Young is also the first NFL athlete to join New Balance and will help the company develop its first football cleat, which is set to debut in 2024.

Other New Balance athletes

The Boston-based brand signed NBA star Kawhi Leonard in 2018 and has embraced his quiet competitive nature. It welcomed a 14-year-old Coco Gauff to its roster that same year and released the tennis champion's signature shoe last summer. MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani inked a deal with New Balance in January.

New Balance also has an extensive line of soccer cleats and sponsors several soccer clubs and players, including AS Roma, Lille, FC Porto, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Sadio Mané and Sheila García .

The company is involved in the music world and sponsors rapper Jack Harlow, who appears in commercials with Leonard. In 2016, New Balance did a sneaker collaboration with multi-platinum producer Metro Boomin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chase Young signs with New Balance, Klutch Athletics