NFL teams pick up 5th-year options on Waddle, Rousseau, Darrisaw, Pitts and other 2021 1st-rounders

Receiver Jaylen Waddle, linebacker Jaelan Phillips, defensive end Gregory Rousseau, left tackle Christian Darrisaw and tight end Kyle Pitts were among the 2021 first-round draft picks whose fifth-year contract options were formally exercised Monday.

The Miami Dolphins picked up options on Waddle and Phillips. Selected sixth and 18th, respectively, Waddle and Phillips have become standout pieces on Miami's roster.

Waddle is the only player in franchise history with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and the ninth in NFL history to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first three seasons.

Phillips set a Dolphins rookie record with 8 1/2 sacks in 2021 and has had at least six in each of his first three seasons.

The Minnesota Vikings picked up the option on Darrisaw, who has started 39 games since being selected 23rd overall.

The Buffalo Bills did the same on Rousseau, who has 129 tackles and 17 sacks in 46 games since being chosen at No. 30.

And the Atlanta Falcons followed suit on Pitts, who has 149 receptions for 2,049 yards and six touchdowns since being taken fourth overall. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie when he had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards, setting a franchise record for receiving yards by a first-year player.

Pitts sustained a season-ending knee injury after playing 10 games in 2022 and managed 53 catches for 667 yards and three touchdowns a season ago as the Falcons struggled to settle on a starting quarterback.

Atlanta is counting on Pitts’ production to pick up after the signing of Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal and the drafting of Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall selection.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, meanwhile, exercised options on former Clemson teammates Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne. Lawrence was the overall top pick in the 2021 draft.

Teams have until Thursday to decide whether to keep those first-round picks for a fifth season. The list of those whose options already have been picked up includes Cincinnati receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn, Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain, Dallas pass rusher Micah Parsons and New York Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

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FILE - Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off the ball to running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars formally exercised fifth-year contract options Monday, April 29, 2024, on quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne.(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, FIle)

FILE - Minnesota Vikings' Christian Darrisaw looks at the scoreboard during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Oct. 15, 2023, in Chicago. The Vikings have exercised their fifth-year option on the contract of left tackle Darrisaw, their 2021 first-round draft pick who has become their most valuable offensive lineman. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE - Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips walks off of the field after playing the Las Vegas Raiders, Nov. 19, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins exercised the fifth-year options for Phillips and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, the team announced Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

FILE - Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle stands on the field before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Dec. 24, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. The Dolphins exercised the fifth-year options for Waddle and linebacker Jaelan Phillips, the team announced Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2024--

Alcohol use increased across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic but a new Millennium Health Signals Alert™ shows that it increased most dramatically among those with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and has remained elevated; up more than 20% nationally since 2019. This robust analysis of more than 430,000 urine drug test (UDT) results also illustrates that alcohol use is being detected among patients with AUD at over twice the rate of those without AUD.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240520017267/en/

(Graphic: Business Wire)

“These findings are eye opening and reveal that the pandemic had a lasting negative impact on this at-risk group of patients. We’re calling attention to this problem now because our data also show that alcohol use tends to increase in the summer,” said Millennium Health Chief Clinical Officer Angela Huskey, PharmD, CPE. “As the nation continues to grapple with a devastating drug overdose crisis, we must remember that excessive alcohol use kills nearly 180,000 Americans each year. That’s more than from fentanyl and all other drug overdoses combined.”

Millennium Health’s researchers reported increases in alcohol detection among those with AUD across most of the U.S. The states with the largest gains were Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New York, and Utah.

The Alert also examined the relationship between recent alcohol consumption and the use of other drugs. Compared to patients with AUD who had not consumed alcohol recently, those who had were significantly more likely to use cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, and benzodiazepines; further jeopardizing their recovery.

“With this Alert, we hope to raise awareness among clinicians, communities, health agencies, advocacy groups and policy makers about these concerning trends,” said Scott Walton, Millennium Health Chief Executive Officer. “Now is the time to act. Because the health consequences of excessive drinking are often delayed, the impacts of concerning increases in alcohol use in this vulnerable population could be felt for years to come.”

Methodology

This Signals Alert represents an analysis of urine drug testing results from urine specimens (N = 434,641) collected between January 1, 2018, and March 15, 2024. Included specimens were from patients aged 18 years or older and collected in health care practices located in all 50 states. A single specimen per patient was selected based on the earliest collection date. All patient specimens were associated with an ICD-10 SUD diagnosis code and had clinician-ordered testing for alcohol. Further detail on the drugs analyzed and statistical methods is provided in the Alert.

A copy of the alert can be accessed here.

About Millennium Health

Millennium Health is an accredited specialty laboratory providing medication monitoring via definitive urine and oral fluid drug tests to support improved clinical decision-making as part of treatment for millions of Americans with chronic pain, mental illness, substance use disorders, and other health conditions. Drug testing is used to obtain objective information about patients’ recent use of prescription medications and/or illicit drugs and helps monitor the effectiveness of treatment plans. We also conduct real-time tracking of emerging drug use trends to help researchers, public health officials, and policymakers address the significant increase in drug overdose deaths.

(Graphic: Business Wire)