The Bills said in March that they weren’t in any rush to make a decision about exercising their option on defensive end Shaq Lawson‘s contract for the 2020 season and they took almost all the time they were allowed before making that call.
Friday is the deadline for teams to pick up fifth-year options on their 2016 first-round picks and Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that the Bills have decided not to exercise Lawson’s option.
Lawson had shoulder surgery after being picked 19th overall and missed the first half of his rookie season while recovering from the operation. He also ended his second season on injured reserve after a December ankle injury and has missed 13 games over his first three seasons.
When he has been in the lineup, Lawson has 76 tackles, 10 sacks and four forced fumbles. He’ll try to build on those totals this year as he heads toward free agency.