With summer break looming, the Cincinnati Bengals finalized contracts with one of their most important offensive players and a member of the 2024 draft class.
Bengals Announce Contracts for Ted Karras, Kris Jenkins
The Bengals signed center Ted Karras to a one-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2025 season.
A nine-year veteran, Karras joined the Bengals in 2022 and has started 33 of 34 games.
In his first season with the team, he was voted captain and helped lead Cincinnati to a second consecutive AFC Championship Game.
“It feels great,” Karras said. “Very thankful to the Brown family and the Blackburn family. We’ve been working on it this spring. I’m really excited to be here for the next two years.”
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Karras said the extension essentially amounts to $12 million over the next two seasons. He is slated to earn a base salary of $5.8 million in 2024.
Prior to signing his three-year, $18 million contract with the Bengals a few months after their run to Super Bowl LVI, Karras had played on back-to-back one-year deals in Miami and New England.
“I know this organization. I think they know and trust me,” Karras said. “They signed me, which I was so grateful for, not knowing me at all. I think to extend a contract this time knowing me now for two, three years means a lot. It means that I’m hopefully doing the right things.”
A captain again in 2023, Karras was the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and the winner of the social media challenge, earning an additional $35,000 for the Village of Merici.
His charity work, personality, and sound bytes have made him a fan favorite during his short time in Cincinnati.
“I’m a Midwest guy, just from right down the street in Indy,” Karras said when asked why Cincinnati has been such a good fit for him.
“We have a great team and so many great guys,” Karras added. “Coach (Zac) Taylor has put together a great staff and group of players. I get a lot of credit for leading, but it’s really quite easy. We have so many high-quality men on this team. It’s an honor to be signed up for the next two seasons.”
What about beyond that? Would Karras like to end his career with the Bengals?
“I want to play for as long as they’ll let me, and then I’ll play one more,” he joked. “That’s kind of been my thought process in this league. When you start to get into Year 9 and Year 10, (retirement) starts looming a little bit.
“I’m not thinking that way. I feel fresh and young,” he continued. “I’m playing with a lot of 21 year olds, so it’s a lot of fun, and I do want to end it here. I think that is important to me. Football is an adventure and for the next two years, I’m here for sure.”
Also on Thursday, the team announced it had signed defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, a rookie second-round pick from Michigan.
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