Welcome to part three of the series, where we review the 1st round picks from the 2020 NFL Draft who had their 5th-year options declined. To recap, the 2020 draft class set a record for the smallest number of players to have their 5th-year options declined since it became a thing in 2011.
We will focus on the last batch of five players who had theirs declined.
New Orleans Saints: Cesar Ruiz
The Saints declined Cesar Ruiz’s $14.175 million, fully guaranteed option. Despite getting his option declined, Ruiz signed a four-year extension worth up to $46 million before the start of the 2023 season.
He played every game with two penalties, five sacks allowed, and a 51.2 PFF Grade.
Seattle Seahawks: Jordyn Brooks
The Seahawks declined Jordyn Brooks’s $12.722 million, fully guaranteed option. Brooks played every game with 111 tackles, eight TFLs, 4.5 sacks, one interception, one pick-six, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and a 57.3 PFF Grade.
He signed a 3-year, $26.25 million contract with the Miami Dolphins.
Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Queen
The Ravens declined Patrick Queen’s $12.722 million, fully guaranteed option. Queen played every game with 133 tackles, nine TFLs, 3.5 sacks, one interception, six pass deflections, one forced fumble, a 73.1 PFF Grade, and his first Pro Bowl. He also had 13 tackles in two playoff games.
He signed a 3-year, $41 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Miami Dolphins: Noah Igbinoghene
The Dolphins declined Noah Igbinoghene’s $11.514 million, fully guaranteed option. The Dolphins traded Igbinoghene to the Cowboys before the start of the season.
He played five games and didn’t record a tackle but scored on a blocked field goal return for a touchdown.
He signed a one-year, $1,292,500 contract with the Washington Commanders.
Kansas City Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Chiefs declined Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s $5.461 million, fully guaranteed option. Edwards-Helaire played every game with 223 yards on 70 carries (1 TD) and 17 receptions on 22 targets for 188 yards (1 TD). He also had 53 yards on 11 carries and four receptions on four targets for seven yards in four playoff games.
He signed a one-year contract extension worth up to $1.7 million.
Conclusion
To conclude, two of the five listed players re-signed with the team they played for in 2023, three signed with other teams, two signed one-year deals, and two signed for over $10 million APY.
In this entire series, ten players found a new team, five re-signed with the team they played for in 2023, ten are on one-year deals, and four are making more than $10 million APY.
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