Bengals’ final offseason task takes care of their locker room leader, and puts others in a curious spot
Cincinnati’s premier veteran leader received a one-year extension.
For the second year in a row, the Cincinnati Bengals have extended Ted Karras’ contract for another season.
Karras signed a one-year, $5 million extension Friday morning.
Karras originally signed a three-year, $18 million free agent contract to join Cincinnati in 2022. That contract got extended for another year and $6 million on June 13, 2024. He will now be under contract for another $5 million through the 2026 season.
A team captain for the fourth-consecutive year, Karras is an absolute pillar in the Bengals’ locker room. He represents the team for the NFLPA, he’s ultra-active in the community spearheading “The Cincy Hat” foundation, and on top of all of that, he’s still a solid starting offensive lineman at the age of 32.
That last part can’t go unnoticed. Centers can usually play for longer than other positions, but the Bengals don’t often extend players Karras’ age. That they’re re-upping his deal once again despite already having youthful backups ready to take the torch speaks volumes.
Bengals continue showing confidence in Karras aging gracefully
No one would’ve blamed you if you believed Karras’ time in Cincinnati was going to expire with his original three-year deal. The former sixth-round pick wrapped up his ninth year in the NFL back in January. He’s played in 157 combined regular season and postseason contests, including two Super Bowl victories with the New England Patriots.
Extending him once was already a bonus. Extending him twice shows a good amount of faith in their elder statesman.
Durability and the production that comes with that is in Karras’ corner. He’s never missed a start for the Bengals and has averaged just under 23 pressures allowed per season blocking for quarterback Joe Burrow.
Cincinnati is now expecting that to persist for the next two years. The club’s expectations for the depth behind Karras, however, may need to come into question.
What Karras’ extension means for promising young backups
The Bengals have two centers in the building as backups for Karras. Matt Lee, a seventh-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, is the second-string backup on the active roster. Seth McLaughlin, an undrafted free agent signing following the 2025 draft, is the third-stringer on the practice squad.
Lee has only played in four-career preseason games and has never snapped in a regular season outing, but he puts out quality tape every time he sees the field. McLaughlin was likely to be drafted if not for the torn Achilles he suffered at Ohio State last year and there are supporters of his inside Paycor Stadium.
On the surface, you’d think Cincinnati was set up nicely to move on from Karras following 2025. Lee and McLaughlin could’ve battled it out to be the new o-line centerpiece, and the front office could save a few million in the process.
There’s also risk with handing the keys over to such inexperienced names when the current driver has the earned trust of Burrow and the coaches. Karras’ chemistry with the franchise quarterback can’t be understated, and this news is sure to make No. 9 a happy camper entering the season.
Ultimately, $5 million isn’t too grand of a commitment and if Karras starts to regress this year, a decision could be make next offseason. This move only secures the future of the position even more with very little downside, if any at all.
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