The deadline for fifth-year option decisions has arrived, and although the Rams did not make a first-round pick in 2023, they held an option call thanks to their waiver claim of Emmanuel Forbes. As expected, Los Angeles will not provide the cornerback with a 2027 guarantee.
Forbes will see his option declined, per The33rdTeam’s Ari Meirov. The Rams overhauled their cornerback contingent this offseason, importing Chiefs starters Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson into their starting lineup. A record-setting extension followed for McDuffie, while his former Kansas City sidekick signed a three-year, $51MM Rams accord.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
It would have cost the Rams $12.63MM to exercise Forbes’ option. The 2020 CBA made options fully guaranteed, after the 2011 CBA allowed teams to pick up options and cut players later free of charge as long as they passed a physical. Although the current CBA has caused teams to be more careful with option decisions, the salary cap’s annual spikes have allowed some flexibility here.
Twenty-two 2023 first-rounders saw their options exercised this year. That beats the 2022 first-round contingent (19, though Derek Stingley Jr. was extended early) and the 2021 first-round crop (16, though three players were extended in that group). The 2020 draft only featured 12 exercised options, though the Packers extended Jordan Love in lieu of exercising his.
The ’23 first-round cornerback collection was 2-for-4 in exercised options, with the Seahawks and Patriots respectively extending Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez‘s rookie deals through 2027. The Giants, however, declined Deonte Banks‘ option today. Witherspoon and Gonzalez have become two of the NFL’s best corners, while Banks and Forbes have not lived up to the first-round billing.
The Commanders chose Forbes 16th overall, one spot in front of Gonzalez, and that regime was removed from power after the ’23 season. The Adam Peters-Dan Quinn duo moved on from the Ron Rivera-Martin Mayhew first-rounder quickly, cutting the lanky CB in November 2024 after dangling him in trades. The Rams swooped in with a claim and have used him sparingly since.
Coming to Washington after a Mississippi State career that included incredible ball production (14 INTs in three seasons, six pick-sixes), Forbes also entered the league south of 170 pounds. Size became an issue for the young ballhawk, who has five interceptions in three seasons. Forbes fell out of favor with Quinn’s staff and played in just two Rams games after being claimed in 2024. Last season, however, brought a much bigger role. L.A. used Forbes as a 14-game starter and deployed him on 73% of its defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Forbes 91st among qualified CB options in 2025.
As cornerback play may have been the Rams’ Achilles heel last season, the team paid up for replacements in McDuffie and Watson. The team also let Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick and 2025 deadline acquisition Roger McCreary walk. Forbes may still have a role in 2026, but a significant snap-share reduction appears in the offing. The 6-foot cover man does represent important depth behind the ex-Chiefs and nickel Quentin Lake, however, and has one more season to boost his free agency stock.