The Detroit Lions are not picking up the fifth-year option on linebacker Jarrad Davis' contract, making the team captain a free agent after the 2020 season, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.
Davis, a first-round pick out of Florida in 2017, has started 41 games for Detroit, mostly at middle linebacker. He has 259 career tackles with 10 sacks, nine passes defended and one interception.
Davis has struggled in coverage, giving up a 78.4% completion rate and a 116.6 passer rating against last season, according to Pro Football Reference.
After playing over 75% of defensive snaps in his first two seasons, he played just 57% in 2019, although some of that had to do with missing five games due to injury.
The Lions did not select a linebacker in this year's draft, but they did sign Jamie Collins and Reggie Ragland in free agency. They drafted linebacker Jahlani Tavai in the second round last season and edge rusher Julian Okwara in the third round last month.
There have been questions about how the Lions would use Davis this fall after the acquisitions of Collins and Ragland, along with the release of former team captain Devon Kennard.
Davis has been a leader for the Lions in the locker room and the community. He led the player portion of the team's initiative to help fund the making of surgical gowns and masks by The Empowerment Plan in the beginning of April.
Davis has played the second-most games among players in the Lions' 2017 draft class, behind only receiver Kenny Golladay, a third-round pick who made the Pro Bowl last season. Detroit still has four players from its 2017 class: Davis, Golladay, reserve linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and returner Jamal Agnew. Among the misses in the class were cornerback Teez Tabor, a second-round pick, and tight end Michael Roberts, a fourth-round pick. Both were cut prior to the 2019 season.