2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2023 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
- Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th top salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position
PFR’s Offseason Outlook series examined each of these decisions in-depth, and weeks remain until this year’s deadline. In the meantime, we will use the space below to track all the 2027 option decisions from around the league:
- QB Bryce Young, Panthers ($25.9MM): To be exercised
- QB C.J. Stroud, Texans ($25.9MM): To be exercised
- DE Will Anderson Jr., Texans ($21.51MM)
- QB Anthony Richardson, Colts ($22.48MM)
- CB Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks ($21.16MM): Exercised
- LT Paris Johnson Jr., Cardinals ($19.07MM)
- DE Tyree Wilson, Raiders ($14.48MM)
- RB Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($11.32MM)
- DT Jalen Carter, Eagles ($27.13MM)
- RT Darnell Wright, Bears ($19.07MM)
- G Peter Skoronski, Titans ($19.07MM)
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions ($14.29MM)
- DE Lukas Van Ness, Packers ($13.75MM)
- LT Broderick Jones, Steelers ($19.07MM)
- DE Will McDonald, Jets ($13.75MM): To be exercised
- CB Emmanuel Forbes, Rams ($12.63MM)
- CB Christian Gonzalez, Patriots ($18.12MM): To be exercised
- LB Jack Campbell, Lions ($21.93MM)
- DL Calijah Kancey, Buccaneers ($14.48MM)
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks ($23.85MM): Exercised*
- WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers ($18MM)
- WR Zay Flowers, Ravens ($27.3MM): To be exercised
- WR Jordan Addison, Vikings ($18MM): To be exercised
- CB Deonte Banks, Giants ($12.63MM)
- TE Dalton Kincaid, Bills ($8.16MM): To be exercised
- DT Mazi Smith, Jets ($13.93MM)
- RT Anton Harrison, Jaguars ($19.07MM): To be exercised
- DE Myles Murphy, Bengals ($14.48MM)
- DT Bryan Bresee, Saints ($13.93MM)
- DE Nolan Smith, Eagles ($13.75MM)
- DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Chiefs ($13.75MM)
* = Seahawks gave Smith-Njigba four-year, $168.6MM extension
Jets ‘Hopeful’ About Breece Hall Extension
The Jets placed the franchise tag on Breece Hall, ensuring he will remain in New York in 2026. They envision, however, a much longer-term partnership with their star running back via a multi-year extension.
“Things are in a good place and I’m hopeful with Breece,” general manager Darren Mougey said at league meetings this week (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “Obviously, we’ll get through this draft process. And after the draft kind of shift my focus back there and hopefully get something done with Breece.”
Hall’s tag is worth $14.293MM, the fifth-highest AAV at his position, per OverTheCap. Directly ahead of him is Kenneth Walker at $14.35MM per year, a figure that is no accident. The two were taken five picks apart in the 2022 draft and have comparable career numbers, highlighted by their very similar 2025 campaigns. With Hall tagged, Walker was able to secure a slightly bigger annual salary with the third-most guaranteed money for a veteran running back in league history.
That, in turn, will likely set Hall’s expectations for a long-term deal with the Jets, particularly on the guarantee front. But will New York want to pay up for a running back who, in terms of both volume and efficiency, has never ranked among the league’s top 10 at his position?
Investing so much in a running back has long been dicey proposition, but there has been a resurgence in recent years. The Jets are looking to add a young franchise quarterback in the near future, and a strong running game is an easy way to help out rookie passers. Hall has also been durable with only two absences in the last three years.
Jets Expect To Pick Up Will McDonald’s Fifth-Year Option
Although general manager Darren Mougey was not in place when the Jets drafted Will McDonald 15th overall in 2023, he is prepared to keep the edge rusher around for at least two more seasons. Mougey said Monday that the Jets expect to pick up McDonald’s $14.48MM fifth-year option for 2027 (via Connor Hughes of SNY).
A year after using a first-rounder on pass rusher Jermaine Johnson, ex-GM Joe Douglas doubled down in taking McDonald. A former Iowa standout, McDonald filled a limited role during a 15-game, zero-start rookie campaign. The 6-foot-4, 245-pounder played just 16.18% of defensive snaps and totaled three sacks, though the Jets’ reliance on McDonald has increased heavily since then.
New York fired defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh and replaced him with D-coordinator Jeff Ulbrich during the 2024 season, a career year for McDonald. While playing all 17 games and starting 15, McDonald posted personal bests in pressures (61), quarterback hits (24), tackles for loss (11) and sacks (10.5).
Despite his quality pass-rushing production two years ago, Pro Football Focus ranked McDonald a below-average 79th among 121 edge defenders. A poor grade against the run was the culprit, which was the case again in 2025. Playing his first year under another defensive-minded head coach, Aaron Glenn, McDonald ranked 84th among 115 players at his position (via PFF). Over 15 games and 14 starts, the 26-year-old’s pressures dropped to 42. The rest of his numbers also declined to some degree. He registered 19 QB hits, 10 TFL and eight sacks (four of which came in a Week 10 outburst against the Browns) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in December.
McDonald drew interest leading up to last November’s trade deadline, but the Jets were more open to trading Johnson. They have since dealt Johnson to Tennessee, reuniting him with Saleh, for defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. On the other hand, they remain committed to McDonald, who will team with free agent signing Joseph Ossai and potentially a first-round rookie as the Jets’ top edge rushers next season.
Jets Name QB Geno Smith Starter For Now
Since the end of the 2025 NFL season, the Jets have almost completely turned over their quarterbacks room. After shuffling three starting quarterbacks last year, head coach Aaron Glenn has named his starter for the 2026 campaign early, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network. 
Traded away is Justin Fields, while Tyrod Taylor and Hendon Hooker have walked in free agency, leaving only undrafted rookie Brady Cook remaining from last year’s roster. The first to join Cook in the room was former Patriots starting quarterback Bailey Zappe. After leaving New England, Zappe had gone back and forth between the Chiefs and Browns over the past two years before signing a reserve/futures deal with the Jets in February.
The final passer to join the room was a familiar face as the Jets traded a sixth-round pick to Las Vegas for a seventh-rounder and the quarterback they drafted in the second round out of West Virginia 13 years ago. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season. In the 15 campaigns since then, New York has had a losing record in all but three of those seasons. The first was an 8-8 campaign the season immediately after they last made the playoffs. The second and third occurred with Geno Smith on the roster, when he led his team to an 8-8 record as a rookie in 2013 and when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015’s 10-6 campaign. It’s been 10 straight losing seasons since then.
After rediscovering success in Seattle, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in two straight years and helped the Seahawks to three winning seasons, Smith fell back to earth during his lone year in Vegas. He failed to reach 20 touchdowns for the first time since reestablishing himself as a starter in the NFL, led the league with 17 interceptions and 55 sacks taken, and worst of all, won only two of 15 games as a starter, leading to the Raiders receiving the No. 1 overall pick, which they will use to draft his eventual replacement.
Despite the down year, Glenn has expressed the utmost confidence in the veteran. In an interview with Battista, Glenn called Smith a “bonafide starter,” going on to say that “there is no doubt in (his) mind that (they) brought a competent starter” to the team. When Battista sought further clarity that Smith was being named the starter, Glenn quickly replied, “No doubt about it, he’s our guy.”
According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, while Smith may be the starter for the Jets this year, the 35-year-old is clearly not the team’s future at the position. Despite the team hosting such passers as Ty Simpson and Drew Allar in recent weeks, Hughes asserts that this year’s draft will likely be used to build a talented team around outside the quarterback position, and the future at quarterback will be whoever they decide to draft in 2027.
For now, though, Smith is the bridge starter to carry the team until his successor is drafted and, perhaps, until his successor is ready after sitting and learning for a bit. Returning back to where his journey first began, Smith has an opportunity to pave a successful pathway for the Jets’ next potential franchise quarterback, helping them avoid the trials and tribulations he faced as a talented young passer who just needed time to bloom.
Jets Rumors: Fitzpatrick, WRs, QBs
After getting traded to the Jets, there’ve been a few questions about how New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick will be utilized in New York’s defense. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Fitzpatrick hasn’t had conversations on the subject just yet, but he has his preference.
When Fitzpatrick was making his case as a future first-round pick at Alabama, the Crimson Tide utilized his versatility, playing him mostly in the slot but letting him roam into the box and the defensive outfield. The Dolphins utilized him much the same way after drafting him, but when Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers in his second year of NFL play, Pittsburgh simplified his role, sticking him mostly back at safety. Making his way back to Miami last year, Fitzpatrick was put back into his nickelback role, and he excelled.
To be fair, Fitzpatrick is hardly limited by where he plays and displayed some excellent seasons in Pittsburgh, but when asked about how he might fit into New York’s defense next season, Fitzpatrick told the media that he “envisions himself playing a nickel role, as he did last year in Miami.” The Jets played fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore in that role for much of last year, but Fitzpatrick will likely be an upgrade over his fellow Alabama alumnus.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- In an examination of general manager Darren Mougey‘s patient, methodical roster-building strategy, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic broke down how his clairvoyant approach has benefitted the team’s targeting efficiency. Studying the mistakes other teams tend to make in free agency, Mougey examined the likely top receiver options leading up to this year’s offseason. The Jets were interested in Alec Pierce at the top of the market and even Josh Palmer and Dyami Brown at the middle of the market, but Mougey knew that these options wouldn’t be cheap, so when conducting trades this season, he made sure teams included promising, young pass catchers like Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie. Doing so made it easier for New York to walk away from the table as the price tags for Pierce, Palmer, and Brown surpassed expectations and avoid overspending and not getting a decent return on investment.
- Rosenblatt also addressed Mougey’s offseason approach to the quarterback position. After swinging and missing on a decent-sized deal for quarterback Justin Fields, Mougey was able to recoup some value as the Jets moved on. In moving on, Mougey opted to lean on his new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who has long been revered for his quarterback expertise. The collaboration led to the team’s reunion with Geno Smith, whom the team had reportedly looked into to trading for when the Seahawks made him available last year.
LB Arvell Reese Meets With Giants, Jets, Saints
Ohio State hybrid linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese has long been tabbed for a top-10 pick in April’s draft, and a list of his recent meetings supports that projection.
All 32 NFL teams attended Ohio State’s Pro Day on Wednesday, with the Jets, Saints, and Giants taking extra time to meet with Reese, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. All three hold top-10 picks and could stand to add an impact defender, especially one who can fill multiple roles in the front seven.
The Jets hold the second overall pick and just traded 2022 first-rounder Jermaine Johnson to the Titans, creating a need at edge rusher. Signing Joseph Ossai to a three-year, $34.5MM filled the immediate void, but New York may want to add a long-term option opposite 2023 first-rounder Will McDonald. The defense also has Jamien Sherwood and Demario Davis as their starting linebackers, but Reese could rotate in there, too.
Reese could also head to the other team in New York, though the Giants have much more depth. Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux are one of the league’s best young trios, so Reese would not have as many opportunities off the edge. However, new head coach John Harbaugh has always prioritized the off-ball linebacker position, where Reese played a majority of his college snaps. He could be Tremaine Edmunds‘ running mate in the middle of the defense as a rookie with the potential to expand his pass rushing profile if Thibodeaux leaves in free agency next offseason. The Giants have even expressed interest in trading Thibodeaux, which would open up more edge rushing snaps for Reese.
The Saints are picking at No. 8, and even that may be a long shot for Reese, who is widely considered a top-five prospect. They have two veteran starters penciled in at edge rusher and linebacker, none of which are younger than 27. Reese could see time in both roles as a rookie and serve as a long-term starter for either depending on how the rest of New Orleans’ roster comes together.
Jets Contract Details: Davis, Onyemata, Enagbare, Wright, Belton
The Jets have signed 12 players since free agency opened on March 11. Here are the details on several of those contracts…
- Demario Davis, LB (two years, $22MM): Returning to the Jets for a third stint, the 37-year-old standout secured $15MM in guaranteed money and a $7.5MM signing bonus, Katherine Terrell of ESPN reports. Davis’ $3.5MM base salary for 2026 is fully guaranteed; $4MM of his $11MM base in ’27 is fully guaranteed.
- David Onyemata, DT (one year, $10.5MM): The former Saint and Falcon received a $7.5MM signing bonus and will earn a $2.15MM salary, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Onyemata will make another $50K for each game he’s active (up to $850K). The Jets tacked four void years on his deal.
- Kingsley Enagbare, OLB (one year, $10MM): The ex-Packer will rake in $8.49MM in guaranteed money and a $5MM signing bonus, according to Spotrac. Enagbare’s 2026 base salary will check in at $3.49MM.
- Nahshon Wright, CB (one year, $5.5MM): Despite leading the NFL last year with 10 turnovers (five interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles), the former Bear settled for a relatively inexpensive deal. The Jets will pay Wright a fully guaranteed $3.5MM, per Wilson. His accord features a $2MM signing bonus and a salary of $1.5MM.
- Dane Belton, S (one year, $4MM): In leaving the Giants for the Jets, Belton landed $3.5MM in guarantees and a $2.5MM signing bonus, Wilson relays. His contract features up to $2MM in incentives based on playing time, interceptions, a playoff appearance and a Pro Bowl nod. Belton will also collect $30k in per game roster bonuses (up to $510K).
- Andre Cisco, S (one year, $2.5MM): Cisco re-upped with the Jets for a $1.49MM salary, $1.25MM in guarantees and a $500K signing bonus (via Wilson).
- Max Mitchell, OT (one year, $2MM): Set for his fifth year with the Jets in 2026, Mitchell will play on a $1.81MM salary with $1MM in fully guaranteed money, according to Wilson.
QB Garrett Nussmeier To Work Out For Jets, Rams; Colts Visit Scheduled
Plenty of attention has been paid to the likes of Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson at the quarterback spot leading up to next month’s draft. That will no doubt remain the case over the coming weeks, but a number of other passers will be interesting to monitor as well. 
One of those is Garrett Nussmeier. The LSU product was one of several college quarterbacks who fell short of expectations over the course of the 2025 season. An abdominal injury suffered during training camp last summer played a role in Nussmeier’s fifth and final campaign with the Tigers producing underwhelming results.
NFL interest has still been generated, though. During an interview on NFL Network’s The Insiders (video link), Nussmeier revealed he is set to work out privately for the Jets and Rams. He added a top 30 visit with the Colts has been arranged. Like with all prospects, several Zoom meetings are taking place in Nussmeier’s case; he could also add further to his list of interested teams.
New York has, to no surprise, lined up a workout with Simpson. The Jets own pick No. 2, not seen as a viable spot to draft any passer aside from Mendoza (who remains on course to hear his name called first overall by the Raiders). New York also has the 16th selection, along with a pair of second-rounders and five Day 3 picks. Nussmeier could be an option during the middle stages of the draft.
Matthew Stafford is set to continue his career for at least one more season. Finding a successor for the MVP has been mentioned as a sensible priority in the Rams’ case for years, yet there is no long-term plan in place under center. An investment in the 2026 class may not be expected to yield a future QB1 given its comparisons to next year’s, but Nussmeier could serve as a developmental option for Los Angeles. The team also has a pair of Day 1 picks, along with a third-rounder and four Day 3 selections.
Daniel Jones signed a two-year deal to remain in place with the Colts as their starter. Anthony Richardson is still in place as a backup for now, but a trade is being looked into for the former No. 4 pick. Dealing Richardson would create a spot on the depth chart for Nussmeier or another mid-round QB. Indianapolis owns one selection in each of the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds along with two picks in the seventh round.
As is the case for several mid-round passers in the 2026 class, a firm draft range is difficult to establish at this point. Nonetheless, Nussmeier will be one of the quarterbacks worth watching as teams not in range for Mendoza or Simpson in particular evaluate their options.
QB Ty Simpson To Work Out For Jets
Alabama’s Ty Simpson, considered the second-best quarterback prospect in this year’s class, is firmly on the Jets’ radar. Simpson will hold a private workout for the Jets on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
New York added a potential new starter when it reunited with Geno Smith earlier this month, but the 35-year-old is considered a stopgap option for the rebuilding club. The need for a long-term answer remains obvious for the Jets, who have seen recent first-round QB selections Sam Darnold (third, 2018) and Zach Wilson (second, 2021) flame out in their uniform.
Owners of the second overall pick this year, the Jets once looked like frontrunners to draft either Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore this April. Any chance of that went up in smoke when Moore decided to stay in school in mid-January, leaving Mendoza as the clear choice for the Raiders at No. 1 overall.
Simpson took over as the second passer in this class when Moore returned to Oregon, but it would be a surprise to see the Jets grab him with their first pick and pass on one of the impact defenders available. The Jets also hold the 16th pick, however, and could consider Simpson with that selection.
Simpson was not thought of as a shoo-in first-rounder until recently. But thanks to a strong showing at the Combine, he could go in the top half of Round 1. A team that uses a first-rounder on Simpson would be taking a major gamble, though, considering the recent history of similarly inexperienced college QBs. Anthony Richardson, Mitchell Trubisky and Dwayne Haskins all went in the first round in the past decade despite making 15 or fewer starts in college. None of them lived up to the billing, though it may be too soon to completely write off the 23-year-old Richardson.
Simpson, also 23, was an understudy to Bryce Young and then Jalen Milroe in his first three seasons at Alabama. Finally taking the reins last year, the 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson completed 64.5% of passes, threw for 3,567 yards, and tossed 28 touchdowns against five interceptions in 15 games. Simpson earned a second-team All-SEC nod and helped guide his team to a College Football Playoff berth. Alabama’s season ended when Mendoza’s Hoosiers crushed the Crimson Tide, 38-3, in the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. The two QBs could face off again soon in the NFL, perhaps in a Raiders-Jets matchup.
Jets To Pursue Post-Draft Extension For RB Breece Hall
After four years of up-and-down play, the Jets came into the final year of running back Breece Hall‘s rookie contract unsure of whether or not they wanted to extend him to a long-term contract. When, after the season, they tried and failed to reach an extension agreement in time for free agency, New York opted for the franchise tag. According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, the team is expected to restart its extension efforts after the draft.
As a second-round rookie out of Iowa State, Hall looked electric in his limited first year. He started the season coming off the bench for secondary carries behind Michael Carter but took over a dominant share of the workload by Week 4 and was named a starter by Week 6. Unfortunately, Hall tore his ACL and meniscus early into his second career start, ending his rookie campaign.
Recovering in time to return to a starting role in Year 2, Hall had a strong bounce back season. While he had a tendency to disappear in some contests, he had a few stellar games en route to 994 yards and five touchdowns rushing and 591 yards and four touchdowns receiving. His third season with the team saw fewer disappearances for the young back but also featured fewer big performances with Hall logging just one 100-yard game all season. He also struggled with fumbles more than in prior years, losing the rock six times.
In the following offseason the Jets had no plans of extending him before his final year, but they also weren’t eager to try and trade their leading rusher, either, despite the interest he seemed to draw around the midseason trade deadline. Both Hall and his coaches made clear their desires to avoid a trade, and the front office seemed to follow suit by setting a high asking price for the fourth-year back, indicating that a long-term deal may have entered their plans. Once the team traded away two defensive cornerstones, Hall’s tune reportedly changed a bit, but he never requested a trade.
Realizing that Hall would garner a strong free agent market, based on the trade interest he received and his first 1,000-yard rushing season, the Jets set their sights on retaining the 24-year-old rusher. As the offseason came and progressed, though, the team and player found themselves far apart on contract terms, so the franchise tag came into play. The tag allowed New York to put Hall’s extension on the backburner, while free agency became the priority, and now the draft will be a main focus of the front office for weeks to come.
Per Hughes, though, there was a period just before the Jets moved to place the franchise tag during which they were “pretty confident” that a deal was going to get done. With the possibility of an agreement within their reach, New York intends to shift its focus back to Hall once the draft is in the rearview. Hughes adds that the front office has taken not of the three-year, $43.05MM deal Kenneth Walker just signed in Kansas City, and believing that Hall is a better back, they intend to extend him a bigger offer.
It’s unclear where their offer started and where Hall’s asking price was, but perhaps a bump to Walker’s numbers will get the two sides closer together. We won’t know that, though, likely until after the draft, when time allows for negotiations to continue.