BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Payments continued their philosophy and offseason pattern of signing their very own draft picks to long-term extensions, agreeing to phrases with cornerback Christian Benford on a four-year, $76 million contract extension, his brokers, Hadley Engelhard and Jim Ulrich of EnterSports Administration, instructed ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday.
Benford, 24, was getting into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie deal and now might be underneath contract by means of the 2029 season. The settlement is the newest within the Payments’ prioritizing retaining gamers who’ve developed into starters earlier than they turn out to be free brokers — “draft, develop and re-sign,” as common supervisor Brandon Beane says.
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The sixth-round pick of Villanova turns into the third member of the Payments’ 2022 draft class to signal a four-year extension this offseason, becoming a member of extensive receiver Khalil Shakir and linebacker Terrel Bernard. The Payments have additionally signed defensive finish Greg Rousseau (4 years) and quarterback Josh Allen (six years) to extensions this offseason.
“Love Christian and excited he’ll be again this season, and we’ll see if It really works out now, later, down the highway, to maintain him right here,” Beane mentioned earlier this month. “Which, once more, you recognize by what I’ve all the time mentioned, we wish to draft, develop, and re-sign our personal, and so excited that will probably be right here this 12 months, particularly understanding … we’re skinny on the place proper now.”
Benford has been a transparent starter for the staff over the previous two seasons — he began 5 video games because the Payments labored out the beginning scenario in his rookie 12 months. He then took a step ahead in 2024 and has developed into the staff’s No. 1 exterior cornerback. Benford has 34 regular-season begins in three seasons and has posted 5 interceptions, 25 passes defensed and 4 compelled fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
The common annual worth of the brand new deal by itself places Benford’s common annual worth tied for thirteenth amongst cornerbacks.
Signing Benford partly addresses the staff’s greatest place of want at exterior cornerback for the long run. Nonetheless, there is no such thing as a clear starter reverse Benford on the roster with the draft lower than a month away after Rasul Douglas grew to become a free agent this offseason. When it comes to depth on the place, the staff traded 2022 first-round decide Kaiir Elam to the Dallas Cowboys this month and introduced again Dane Jackson.
The remaining query mark among the many potential extension candidates for the Payments is 2022 second-round decide operating again James Cook dinner.
