Falcons CB Jeff Okudah is ineligible for 5th-year option

Prior to the 2023 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons swung a trade with the Detroit Lions for cornerback Jeff Okudah. In order to acquire the former No. 3 overall selection, the Falcons sent the Lions a 2023 fifth-round pick.

Okudah, 24, will likely start for Atlanta this season, but his future beyond 2023 is still up in the air. While first-round picks generally have a fifth-year option, Okudah is no longer eligible for one.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, when Detroit paid $1.5 million of Okudah’s salary to help facilitate the trade, it nullified the former Ohio State star’s option.

With the fifth-year option deadline tomorrow, worth noting: New #Falcons CB Jeff Okudah is not eligible for it. When the #Lions agreed to pay $1.5M of his 2023 salary to facilitate the trade, his option was off the table. He has 1 year and $3.682M deal left with ATL.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 1, 2023

The Falcons picked up A.J. Terrell‘s fifth-year option just before Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft began Friday. Terrell will earn $12.34 million this season and is likely to get a long-term extension at some point in the future.

Okudah will have one year to prove he can be the team’s long-term answer at the No. 2 cornerback spot. Make sure to check out our Falcons 2023 post-draft starting lineup projections.