Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is entering the final season of the four-year rookie contract he signed after being selected by the Washington Commanders in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
As a first-round pick, Forbes’ deal came with a team option for a fifth season that was taken on by the Los Angeles Rams when they claimed him off waivers in December 2024.
According to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the Rams have decided against picking up the fifth-year option on Forbes’ contract:
The Rams declined the fifth-year option on the contract of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, according to the NFL’s personnel notice.
Had the Rams exercised Forbes’ fifth-year option, it would have guaranteed him a $12.6 million salary in 2027. Instead, the 25-year-old will likely reach unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season.
The Rams could still re-sign Forbes to a new contract if they want him to be part of their future plans. However, that doesn’t appear likely after the team added cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason.
Forbes spent parts of two seasons with the Commanders before joining the Rams at the end of 2024. He has appeared in 19 games (15 starts) with L.A. over the past two years, recording three interceptions, 19 passes defensed and 50 combined tackles.
Despite being a key contributor for most of the 2025 season, Forbes did not start in either of the Rams’ two playoff games and only played a total of 29 defensive snaps.
Les Snead ‘in lockstep’ with Rams head coach Sean McVay
The Rams shocked the football world when they selected Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
A lot of fans weren’t happy about the pick, and head coach Sean McVay didn’t appear to be too pleased either at a press conference after the first night of the draft. Many people took that as McVay not liking the pick and perhaps being at odds with general manager Les Snead.
However, Snead refuted the notion that he isn’t seeing eye to eye with McVay and said the two have a good relationship.
“Our relationship, we’re in lockstep. We’ve been together ten years, we’ve been together now for at least two hours every morning….from late February to right there before the draft, we spend two to three hours every morning together preparing for that night. We’re brothers, we’ll be brothers till the end.”
Snead’s comments are similar to what McVay said after the first night of the draft, when he reiterated that they remain in unison with each other.