This will likely be the last year in Denver for former Mizzou standout Shane Ray.

The Broncos decided against picking up the OLB’s $9.232 million option on his rookie contract earlier this month, and they’re hoping their decision motivates the pass rusher.

“I’ve been really proud of Shane and how he’s responded,” head coach Vance Joseph said, via DenverPost. “He is really motivated. He understands it’s business. And he’s ready for a challenge. He wants to be a great player and, in my opinion, before he got hurt last year (early in training camp) he was on his way to having a great year. I am not surprised that he is motivated and engaged. The ball is in his court. He can earn a lot more than what the option offered him if he goes out there and does what we think he can do.”

But Ray finds himself between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, Denver is hoping their decision motivates Ray, catapulting him to a big season, but even if he does have a big year, Ray will likely price himself out of the Broncos’ price range. If he has a bad year, he’s likely gone anyway. So, hopefully he isn’t too comfortable in Denver, because he’ll likely be wearing a new uniform in 2019.

It’s a solid business decision by Denver, but it’s a tough one for Ray. He has no choice now but to have a big year and hopefully have a big payday with another team. Ray has made just 13 sacks in 38 career NFL games.

To make matters tougher for Ray, Denver drafted pass rusher Bradley Chubb with the No. 5 overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft.