The Detroit Lions did not pick up the fifth-year option on linebacker Jarrad Davis’ contract. That was a business decision more than it was a football decision, according to head coach Matt Patricia.
During his Tuesday morning teleconference with reporters, Patricia was asked about the decision to let Davis become a free agent after the upcoming season. Patricia made it clear he still values what the fourth-year LB means to the team despite not exercising the contract option.
“There is no doubt (Davis) is one of our great leaders on defense,” Patricia said. “He’s a great player we will continue to build around.”
He made a differentiation between the contract and the value he sees in Davis as a player.
“This is a short-term conversation, whatever this contract situation is, and for me it’s about long-term,” Patricia said he told Davis when they spoke after the team declined his option.
When asked to clarify if he wanted Davis around long-term despite not picking up the option, Patricia responded,
“Yeah, I think JD is a cornerstone of what we’re trying to do. He’s in those big-picture plans of where we are trying to go.”
It’s unusual for players to re-sign with a team after not having their fifth-year options picked up, but it’s far from unprecedented. Don’t rule out Davis sticking with the Lions beyond 2020 even though they didn’t prioritize paying him close to $10 million on his contract option.