2023 NFL Draft Fifth-Year Options: Who Teams Believe In — And Who They're Already Moving On From

As NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk reported, the NFL's fifth-year option deadline has passed for the 2023 first-round class, and the results are a blunt referendum on three years of pro football reality. Of the 31 eligible picks — Miami forfeited its first-rounder as part of the Tom Brady/Sean Payton tampering fallout — 22 had their options exercised, nine did not, and two players earned long-term extensions before the question ever became relevant.

The headline decisions cut in both directions. Houston is all-in on its 2023 draft class: C.J. Stroud ($25.9M option) and Will Anderson Jr. both had their options exercised, and Anderson subsequently locked in a three-year, $150 million extension — a deal that confirms the Texans view him as a cornerstone of their defense for years to come. Indianapolis, by contrast, declined Anthony Richardson's option at $22.5 million, a move that speaks volumes about the organization's confidence in the embattled quarterback heading into his fourth season. Carolina exercised Bryce Young's option at the same $25.9M figure as Stroud, suggesting the Panthers still see enough upside to keep the door open, even after one of the more turbulent starts to a quarterback career in recent memory.

Among the non-quarterback decisions, Jalen Carter commands the most attention. Philadelphia exercised his option at $27.1 million — the highest dollar figure on the entire list — signaling that the Eagles consider him a foundational piece of one of the league's best defensive fronts. Bijan Robinson's option was exercised at $11.3 million, a relative bargain for a running back who has established himself as one of the more complete players at his position in the NFC. Tyree Wilson's option was declined by the Saints (acquired in a trade from Las Vegas), a quiet acknowledgment that the 2023 No. 7 overall pick has not developed into the pass rusher that draft position implied.

From a prop-betting standpoint, the Richardson declination is the most actionable signal in this entire list. When a front office won't commit $22.5 million to its starting quarterback, that's an organizational confidence problem that will show up on the field in real time. Expect Indianapolis to be operating with a short leash on Richardson in 2026 — meaning game scripts could turn volatile fast, with the team quicker to abandon the passing game or pull Richardson altogether. His passing yards and touchdown props deserve a sustained fade until the Colts demonstrate genuine commitment to him as a starter. Conversely, the Anderson extension and Carter option cement elite pass-rushing presences for Houston and Philadelphia respectively, giving both defenses a credible ceiling that should suppress opposing quarterback numbers — particularly passing touchdowns — in divisional matchups against those fronts.

Stroud's exercised option, paired with a fully invested supporting cast in Houston, reinforces his prop floors heading into 2026. He's on a team that believes in him structurally and financially, and that organizational stability tends to correlate directly with consistent statistical production. When the market sets his passing yards total, there's no executive uncertainty dragging on the line. The same logic applies to Robinson in Atlanta — a locked-in feature back with an exercised option is exactly the kind of workload certainty that makes rushing attempts and yards props tradeable with confidence.