The Los Angeles Rams have picked up fifth-year options on running back Todd Gurley and cornerback Marcus Peters, the team announced today.
This shouldn’t surprise anybody. The fifth-year option will net Gurley $9.6 million in 2019. Peters will earn a hair under $9 in the same year. Both players will be earning over $7 million more in 2019 than their current contracts.
Gurley and Peters have had strikingly similar careers in the NFL. Both were drafted in the mid-first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Both were selected to the Pro Bowl and as second-team All-Pros in their rookie season. Both players have a first-team All-Pro selection as well as a disappointing year, only Gurley’s down year came in 2016 while Peters was disappointing in 2017.
The move gives the Rams more time to figure out how they want to move forward with both players. Once the team reaches an agreement on an extension with Aaron Donald, Gurley seems like the next man up for a pay day. Expect discussions to begin in this front sooner rather than later.
As for Peters, I’d expect the Rams to hold off until we see how he produces in Los Angeles. 2020 is way too far away for any contract speculation, but Peters seems to be a likely franchise tag candidate while the Rams iron out the money for their other core guys.
With the 2018 NFL Draft on the horizon, stay tuned to Rams Talk for more coverage of the team.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer and podcast host for Rams Talk. He is an alumni of Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
