Vikings will not exercise fifth-year option on Mike Hughes

(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Mike Hughes

Each year, teams are faced with a tough decision on whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option on a player’s rookie contract. For 2021, that means the Minnesota Vikings had to decide whether or not to exercise that deal on cornerback Mike Hughes.

Hughes has been a somewhat polarizing player. When on the field, he has shown flashes of brilliance, including an energizing 28-yard pick-six in his NFL debut against the San Francisco 49ers and a big forced fumble in 2019 against the Kansas City Chiefs that was recovered by Holton Hill.

The biggest problem with Hughes is his ability to stay healthy. Out of a possible 48 games in his first three…