Eli Apple is officially going to be a free agent next season. The New Orleans Saints cornerback had his fifth-year option officially declined today, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. That means the upcoming 2019 season will be the last year of Apple's rookie deal, and he'll be an unrestricted free agent next March.

If it was exercised, it would've been slated to pay him $13.7 million in 2020. The fifth-year option is only guaranteed for injury, so that doesn't mean they would've had to actually pay him that much, only if he was seriously injured this season. As such, the option is exercised much more often than not, and this is a sign the Saints really don't want to have to pay him $13.7 million.

The deadline for teams to make their decisions is May 2nd, and Apple is just the second player to have his officially declined following Laquon Treadwell. The Saints acquired Apple in a deadline trade with the Giants last season, and they gave up a fourth round pick for him.

None of this is to say Apple played poorly, as he actually did help improve the play of a struggling Saints secondary. He received solid marks from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their 64th-best cornerback overall. This could be a good thing for both sides, as getting the option declined often serves as a strong motivator for the player.

Apple will now know he's headed into a contract year, and will need to show out to get a big contract. The Saints very easily can re-sign him at a cheaper price next offseason, so by no means does this indicate the end of his time with the team.