The 5th Year Option
Last but not least, there is the added bonus of taking one early. The thing about drafting players in the first round, it gives teams what is called a fifth-year option. In other words they are allowed to exercise this clause in the rookie contract, allowing a team to control their player for a fifth season rather than the standard four in every other round. If the Bears waited until later and somehow got their franchise guy, they’d end up having to pay him big money sooner. That’s not good for the long-term health of the salary cap.
Now some out in social media will argue that the Bears can just solve that problem by trading up into the bottom of the first round. Well that’s a nice idea except for the one overlooked fact. When trading up in a draft, a team must give up something in returns. Odds are the Bears would have to give up at least a fourth rounder to get back into the top 32, and maybe more. Give how many holes there are left to fill in this roster, that’s not exactly a desirable path.
