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NFL Rumors: Complete List of All Teams’ 2025 Fifth-Year Contract Option Decisions…………………………
A number of excellent first-round picks from the 2021 NFL draft class will soon be making important decisions regarding their futures.
The rookie contracts of players selected in the first round of the 2021 draft have a five-year option that expires on Thursday.
For athletes like Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, some choices were obvious, but others required careful thought and were decided upon well in advance of Thursday’s deadline.
Here is a list, provided by NFL.com, of players from the 2021 draft class whose options were refused or exercised, along with some commentary.
Exercise of Option
quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence
Falcons of Atlanta TE Pitts, Kyle
Bengals of Cincinnati WR Ja’Marr Chase
Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle
Lions of Detroit OT Penei Sewell
Carolina Panthers center back Horn Jaycee
Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II
Eagles of Philadelphia WR Smith DeVonta
Dallas Cowboys DE Micah Parsons
Chargers of Los Angeles OT Rashawn Slater, a Jets player G Tucker, Alijah Vera
Dolphins of Miami LB Jaelan Phillips
Minnesota Vikings OT Darrisaw, Christian
Jacksonville Jaguars RB Etienne Travis
Cleveland Browns cornerback Second Greg Newsome
Buffalo Bills DE Rousseau, Gregory
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh’s
Option Was Rejected
Denver Broncos quarterback Zachary Wilson
The Dallas Cowboys QB Trey Lance
The Pittsburgh Steelers QB Fields Justin
Jacksonville Jaguars QB Mac Jones
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins
Commanders LB in Washington Davis Jamin
Other Situations
Nevada Raiders overtime Alex Leatherwood, who was cut in 2022 and lost his right to a five-year option
WR Rashod Bateman of the Baltimore Ravens (signed to a two-year contract extension)
Examination
The most conspicuous aspect of this year’s fifth-year option selections is the lack of success for a quarterback class that was supposed to be a generational one.
Of the four quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2021 draft, only Lawrence, the top pick, had his options exercised. All those quarterbacks were, in fact, traded out of the original teams who selected them.
Trey Lance, the third-overall pick in 2021, was traded by the San Francisco 49ers to the Dallas Cowboys, where he currently plays as the backup quarterback. The other members of the group switched teams during the offseason, with the New England Patriots sending Mac Jones, the No. 15 pick, to the Jaguars in order to back up Lawrence.
The Chicago Bears sent former No. 11 pick Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers in order to make room for Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in 2024. Fields became the next player to find a new home. Ultimately, Zach Wilson, the Denver Broncos’ No. 2 pick in 2021, was given to the New York Jets with little fanfare.
Despite the fact that the 2021 class will be remembered as a lesson learned not to choose quarterbacks, there were numerous other success stories that left their clubs in excellent shape going forward.
One of the top wide receiver groups in recent years is led by Chase. The fifth-year option gives the Bengals some security and more time to work out a deal, but they are still probably working on getting him to sign a big contract extension. Jaylen Waddle, a receiver for the Miami Dolphins, is the same.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal extension included the picking up of his option. Instead of exercising the fifth-year option, the Baltimore Ravens decided to give Rashod Bateman a two-year deal.
Two defensive standouts from the 2021 class are Micah Parsons, a notable edge rusher for the Dallas Cowboys, and Patrick Surtain II, a cornerback for the Broncos. Given that they have both been selected to the All-Pro team over their careers, Denver and Dallas made the decision to sign them for the 2025 season with ease.
When their options are refused, the players will have another chance to test the open market when they become free agents in the upcoming offseason.