Bengals’ top draft pick spills the beans about when Cincinnati may finalize its next important move
Cincinnati Bengals’ second-round pick Cashius Howell expects to sign his rookie contract within the next two weeks. Howell has already signed the participation waiver to practice without a contract.
Cashius Howell has yet to sign his rookie contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. That shouldn’t be the case for long.
Howell, who was a participant during Cincinnati’s rookie minicamp, believes his deal should be finalized within the next couple of weeks.
“Yeah, I had signed the contract to be out here with minicamp,” Howell told Local 12’s Yanni Tragellis. “I’m not really tripping about, you know, playing while my contract’s still being negotiated. You know, I love football. I love being on the field, so anytime I can get out there, get in the cleats, it’s a plus one for me.
“As far as the contract goes, my agent says it should be done here in like the next week, week or two. So just gotta be patient with it, obviously it’s not a rush, can’t rush and things like that.”
Cashius Howell’s rookie contract should be signed soon
Howell is one of several second-round picks from the 2026 NFL Draft that have yet to sign their rookie contracts. He was selected No. 41 overall by Cincinnati.
Picks No. 33-40 from the 2025 draft ended up signing fully guaranteed contracts last year. They first players drafted at those spots to receive 100% guaranteed deals.
There is no precedent for the No. 41 pick to get a fully guaranteed contract. Jayden Higgins and his representation managed to secure that deal as the No. 34 pick last year. Breaking new ground is now certainly on the table for Howell.
Precedent-setting contracts can take time. According to Howell, he doesn’t expect to wait beyond this month to sign on the dotted line. That could mean his agent isn’t pushing for the highest possible guaranteed percentage. T.J. Sanders signed for 95% guaranteed as the No. 41 pick of the 2025 draft. Howell could end up between the 96-99% range.
To-do list is getting shorter
The Bengals reached 90 players on their roster after claiming linebacker Swayze Bozeman and signing Isaiah Nwokobia as a college free agent Friday afternoon. Howell and cornerback Tacario Davis, drafted with the club’s third-round pick, are the only two players in the locker room unsigned.
Howell’s deal is going to be greater than Davis’ in terms of guaranteed and total value. It is likely the last non-extension Cincinnati will need to put forth notable effort in negotiating. Defensive starters Dax Hill, Myles Murphy, and DJ Turner II will be vying for extensions of their rookie deals this summer.
It will be best to get Howell’s (and Davis’) deal done and sorted before those talks ramp up heading into training camp and the start of the season. If Howell’s agent is right, it won’t be long now.
