The deadline for NFL teams to pick up fifth-year options on the rookie contracts of 2023 first-round draft picks is May 1.
Teams have to decide whether to keep the 31 players below for a fifth season. If the team declines the option, 2026 will be the last season on the rookie contract, making the player a free agent in 2027. If the option is picked up, the player remains under contract for 2027.
We are tracking the entire 2023 class — which had only 31 picks after the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their first-round selection for violations of league policies relating to the integrity of the game — and updating as teams make their decisions.
What is a fifth-year option?
According to OverTheCap.com, the 2020 collective bargaining agreement allows teams to exercise a fifth-year option for players drafted in the first round as an addition to the standard four-year rookie contract. Upon being exercised, the fifth-year option is fully guaranteed, and any base salary in the player’s fourth year that was not fully guaranteed will become so. The fifth-year salary is calculated based on four tiers: basic, playing time, one Pro Bowl and multiple Pro Bowls.
The 2023 first-round draft class
The Panthers will pick up the fifth-year option on Young and discuss whether a contract extension makes sense from the “big-picture view,” general manager Dan Morgan said in January. The option keeps the top pick of the 2023 draft under contract through 2027, when he’ll be guaranteed $26.5 million.
The Seahawks exercised Witherspoon’s option in March. Seattle is expected to discuss a long-term extension with the cornerback. The option for Witherspoon is expected to be worth approximately $21.2 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
Forbes was drafted by the Commanders but was waived in 2024 and picked up by the Rams.
The Seahawks exercised Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option for 2027 — worth approximately $23.9 million. A week later, Seattle signed him to a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. With this new agreement, the two-time Pro Bowl selection is contractually tied to Seattle through the 2031 season.
The Vikings will exercise Addison’s fifth-year option, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski said. Addison will earn $2.6 million in 2026 and is now on the books for $18 million in 2027.
According to general manager Brandon Beane, the Bills have picked up the fifth-year option on Kincaid — which would pay him $8.1 million for the 2027 season.
Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys but was traded to the Jets at the 2025 trade deadline in a package for Quinnen Williams.
Jaguars general manager James Gladstone announced the team will be exercising Harrison’s option, which is estimated at $19 million.
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