The Kansas City Chiefs will pick up the fifth-year option on Dee Ford, according to GM John Dorsey on a conference call with reporters. This means that Ford will be under the Chiefs control in 2017 and 2018.
Dorsey says they knew all along they would pick up Ford’s option.
“I just wanted to prudently think about it and have this morning to assess the situation and see how we turned out in the draft,” Dorsey said. “I think Dee has a fine future with this organization.”
Dorsey also said he wants to see Ford play in all 16 games with the same level of production.
This doesn’t guarantee the Chiefs will have Ford on their team in 2018 and pay him $10 million (actually, $8.7 million) so don’t freak out (for good or bad reasons). Picking up this fifth-year option is not fully guaranteed until March 2018 so what the Chiefs have done here is buy themselves some time. They can get another year of Dee Ford to decide what they want to do in 2018 and beyond.
The fifth-year option is guaranteed for injury only. That means Ford has to be able to pass a physical by March 2018. You’re taking a risk, sure. But a calculated one as pass rushers are very important to a team’s success.
I wrote a couple weeks ago the Chiefs should pick up his option’ so I’m not surprised by this move.