On Friday, the Miami Dolphins made Tua Tagovalioa the first player of the 2020 NFL draft class to have his fifth-year option picked up. The Atlanta Falcons must make a similar decision regarding cornerback A.J. Terrell by the NFL’s deadline on May 1.
Terrell, who was drafted with the 16th overall pick back in 2020, has become one of the team’s most reliable defensive players. The Falcons will almost certainly pick up his option, but how much will that cost?
Fifth-year options are broken into four categories: basic, playtime, one Pro Bowl and multiple Pro Bowls. Each player’s salary is dependent on which category he falls into.
As for Terrell, he falls into the “playtime” category because he doesn’t have any Pro Bowl selections. This means his option would cost the team $12.34 million in 2024 — a very digestible number for a player of Terrell’s caliber.
Last offseason, the Falcons chose to exercise right guard Chris Lindstrom’s fifth-year option, while passing on right tackle Kaleb McGary. Atlanta could have used the franchise tag on McGary, who had a solid season in 2022, but the team will let him test free agency instead.
