How much would Titans’ Rashaan Evans make on fifth-year option?
The Tennessee Titans have a decision to make on inside linebacker Rashaan Evans this offseason, as the team needs to figure out if it will pick up his fifth-year option for 2022 by May 3.
While it remains to be seen what the Titans will do with Evans, we now have a concrete figure on what it will cost to keep the Alabama product around beyond this coming season.
After finalizing the 2021 salary cap on Wednesday, the NFL revealed what players on the fifth-year option will make in 2022 depending on the criteria they hit.
Based on the new CBA, that criteria is playing time and how many Pro Bowls a player has made in their first three seasons, and the money becomes fully guaranteed once the option is exercised.
Since he hasn’t made any Pro Bowls, Evans will make about $9.7 million in 2022 if his fifth-year option is picked up by Tennessee.
The NFL reminded clubs today they have until May 3 to exercise fifth-year options on their first-round picks from the 2018 draft — and the value of those options is based on performance, with players selected to 2+ Pro Bowls getting the 2021 franchise tag number. From the memo: pic.twitter.com/Se2oFLCRxB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 10, 2021
After making strides and becoming an important player in the Titans’ defense during his second season in 2019, Evans regressed like much of the rest of the defense in 2020 and didn’t look like the same player.
Not only was his play on the field lackluster, but he also led the team in penalties with eight and even got thrown out of the Week 1 contest against the Denver Broncos for striking tight end Jake Butt.
Based on what we saw last season, chances are the Titans are going to decline the option, making it a “prove-it” year for Evans.
If that happens, Tennessee will have declined the fifth-year option three of the last four times it has come up for one of their first-round picks. The Titans didn’t pick up the options of Jack Conklin or Corey Davis, but did so with Adoree’ Jackson.
