The San Francisco 49ers have a decision to make when it comes to their 2018 first-round pick, right tackle Mike McGlinchey. The team can exercise his fifth-year option, which would keep him signed through 2022. It would cost $10.88 million, though.
On Wednesday morning, the NFL announced that the 2021 salary cap would be set at $182.5 million. The league also set the amounts for the fifth-year options of first-round selections in the 2018 draft class, per Pro Football Talk.
San Francisco has until May 3 to exercise the option on McGlinchey's contract.
Before this year, fifth-year options were only guaranteed for injury. The most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement changes that, making fifth-year options fully guaranteed. Playing time also figured into the calculation for McGlinchey's number. The 26-year-old offensive lineman has started all 44 of his game appearances through his three NFL seasons, including two 16-start campaigns.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about McGlinchey's fifth-year option in December, indicating that the 49ers hope to keep the offensive lineman around.
"We haven't talked about [the fifth-year option], which is probably a big tweet thing, but McGlinchey's going to be here," Shanahan told reporters. "So, without me ever thinking of that, no, we haven't talked about it, but don't worry, Mike, you'll be alright, man. Obviously, I've got to talk to (general manager) John (Lynch), talk to (CEO) Jed (York), but I didn't even realize that was up next year, which means I feel pretty good about McGlinchey."
San Francisco selected McGlinchey out of Notre Dame with the No. 9 overall pick in 2018. He earned his highest overall Pro Football Focus grade (79.7) this past season, boosted by a career-high run-blocking grade of 91.3. However, McGlinchey's pass-blocking grade of 58.3 was a career-low.
