Falcon Report

Here's Why Falcons Won't Pick Up Jeff Okudah Option

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Jeremy Brener

In this story:

The 2020 NFL Draft's first-round class is having its fate finalized today on the deadline of picking up fifth-year options.

While the Atlanta Falcons made the easy decision to exercise the option on A.J. Terrell's contract, the team won't have to make a choice regarding recent trade acquisition Jeff Okudah.

In Okudah's deal to the Falcons last month, the Detroit Lions (who selected him with the No. 3 overall pick) agreed to pay part of his salary for the 2023 season. According to NFL Network, the Lions will pay $1.5 million of his salary while the Falcons are responsible for the remaining $3.7 million or so.

This means that Okudah will be a free agent at the end of the 2023 season, giving him incentive to play his best football in his first year with the Falcons.

Okudah isn't the only first-rounder from the 2020 class looking to prove himself this season. As of this writing, only 10 of the 32 first-round picks have had their options picked up for the 2024 season. Among those players are quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa, offensive tackles Jedrick Wills and Tristan Wirfs and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk. 

Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown and Terrell are the only defensive players with their options picked up at the time of publication.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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