Bills continue run on extensions, agree on deal to keep CB Christian Benford through 2029
Bills continue run on extensions, agree on deal to keep CB Christian Benford through 2029
Brandon Beane locked up another one.
The Buffalo Bills agreed to terms on a four-year extension with cornerback Christian Benford, a league source confirmed with GNN Sports. ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report and said the deal is worth $76 million.
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Entering free agency, Spotrac.com estimated Benford's market value could net $90 million on a four-year extension. As free agency unfolded, there was a belief Benford could get even more.
During the offseason, eight cornerbacks agreed to contracts worth at least $16 million per year, with seven getting more than $18 million. Now Benford's reported deal is worth $19 million, which ranks 13th among NFL cornerbacks, per Spotrac.
After being the top-ranked cornerback in zone coverage in Pro Football Focus' 2023 rankings, Benford was seventh last season. He was also ranked fourth in man-to-man coverage in 2024.
In three NFL seasons, Benford has 142 tackles, five interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 39 games, 34 of which he started.
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Benford, a sixth-round pick (185th overall), is the third member of Buffalo's 2022 draft class to agree to a contract extension, joining linebacker Terrel Bernard and wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
He is the fourth Bills player entering the final year of his rookie contract (joining Bernard, Shakir and defensive end Greg Rousseau) to sign a four-year extension during the offseason. The Bills have spent nearly $600 million in extensions, including $330 million on quarterback Josh Allen.
The last of Buffalo's priority players from the 2022 draft class left unsigned beyond 2025 is running back James Cook. He has indicated that he desires a $15 million-per-year contract after consecutive Pro Bowl seasons.
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