5 NFL teams who will regret not picking up the fifth-year option for 2021

The Indianapolis Colts have a terrific general manager in Chris Ballard and what looks to be a strong head coach in Frank Reich to lead the way. Indianapolis continues to draft well under Ballard, as illustrated by the haul he got in days two and three of last month’s draft. However, declining the fifth-year option on safety Malik Hooker could come back to haunt him.

Admittedly, Hooker was a tad raw coming out of Ohio State. Like many in the loaded Buckeyes defensive backfield, Hooker didn’t get a ton of playing time during his three years in Columbus. What got him draft No. 15 overall was the promise of upside and supposedly great ball skills. While Hooker has been fine for the Colts, he may not be the Pro Bowler they thought they drafted.

In three years with the Colts, Hooker has never played in more than 13 games in a season. While they can pencil him in as the starter when he’s healthy, Hooker has missed nearly a full season’s worth of playing time in the Indianapolis defensive backfield. But when he is out there, he does make plays on the ball, as he has seven career interceptions for 146 return yards.

We understand why Ballard and the Colts didn’t extend the fifth-year option to Hooker. He has an injury history, but he’s not as injury-prone as Bob Sanders. Should Hooker play all 16 games for the Colts this fall, he might end up being a Pro Bowl alternate-caliber player in Matt Eberflus’ defense. Safety is a weird position to assess value, but are the Colts discounting Hooker’s?