Giants Picking Up OL Justin Pugh’s Fifth-Year Option Considered A “No-Brainer”

According to Dan Graziano of ESPN, it will be a “no-brainer” for the Giants to pick up OL Justin Pugh‘s fifth-year option in the coming weeks.

Graziano mentions that the Giants haven’t had any substantive talks regarding a contract extension for Pugh or DT Johnathan Hankins, who is also in the final year of his contract.

In the end, Granziano expects Pugh to play out the 2017 season under his fifth-option salary before they discuss a new contract.

The fifth-year option will run them over $8.8 million in 2017, but is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.

Pugh,  25, was selected No. 19 overall by the Giants back in 2013. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $8.346 million contract that included a $4,449,744 signing bonus and a base salary of $1,157,307 for the 2016 season.

In 2015, Pugh appeared in 14 games and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 9 offensive tackle out of 77 qualifying players.