Bills Still Weighing Whether To Pick Up Sammy Watkins’ Fifth-Year Option

Sal Capaccio of WGR550 reports that the Bills are still weighing whether or not pick up WR Sammy Watkins‘ fifth-year option in the coming weeks.

Doing so would cost Buffalo around $13 million for the 2018 season. However, this figure is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.

In the end, Capaccio still expects the Bills to exercise Watkins’ option, but the team’s concern relates to his salary being guaranteed if he gets hurt, which makes sense considering that he has dealt with a number of injuries since he entered the league in 2014.

Watkins underwent a second foot surgery back in January after struggling with the injury throughout the 2016 season.

Watkins, 23, was taken with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2014 after the Bills traded up to get him. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $19.935 million rookie contract and stands to make a base salary of $3,138,491 in 2017.

In 2016, Watkins appeared in eight games for the Bills, recording 28 receptions for 430 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 47 receiver out of 115 qualifying players.