Jake Matthews' 5th-Year Contract Option Picked Up by Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday that they picked up the fifth-year option on Jake Matthews' rookie deal, keeping him under contract through the 2018 season.

Matthews, 25, has established himself as one of the best young left tackles in the game, starting 47 of a possible 48 regular-season games in his three years with the team.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus noted that Matthews had a slightly disappointing 2016 season, however, writing, "Atlanta was likely hoping to see a little more from LT Jake Matthews, who appeared to plateau after his big improvement a year ago, rather than continue that development."

Nonetheless, Matthews paired with Alex Mack, Andy Levitre and Ryan Schraeder to form the core of Monson's sixth-ranked offensive line in the 2016 season.

In that regard, it was never really in doubt that the Falcons would exercise Matthews' option and guarantee he is under contract for two more seasons. And while Matthews certainly has room to grow, he's established himself as a solid option at the most important position on the offensive line, making him incredibly valuable to the Falcons.

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