The Falcons announced the team is exercising Calvin Ridley’s fifth-year option, which comes shortly after news broke Atlanta wouldn’t be exercising Hayden Hurst’s fifth-year option.
We have exercised Calvin Ridley's fifth-year option. https://t.co/FgUPcrVjGl
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) May 3, 2021
NFL teams have until the end of the day today — May 3rd — to exercise their 2018 first-round picks’ fifth-year options, and the Falcons have submitted both of their designations. Affecting the 2022 salary cap, Ridley’s option will cost $11,116,000. The NFL uses a formula based on snaps and other accolades to determine how much a player’s fifth-year option is worth. For instance, Ridley warranted the ‘playtime’ designation, but if he had made the Pro Bowl last season — a year he made Second-Team All-Pro — his fifth-year option would’ve cost Atlanta $14,340,000 in 2022.
Playtime: These players will be eligible for a fifth year base salary calculated from the average of the 3rd to 20th highest salaries at their position over the past five seasons, provided that their snap counts over their first three seasons meet one of the following three criteria:
- 75% or greater in two of their first three seasons
- an average of 75% or greater over all three seasons
- 50% or greater over all three seasons
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