The Cleveland Browns signed a new contract extension for star Denzel Ward. Five-time Pro Bowl Ward has signed a new two-year, $62.2 million contract, which also guarantees him $52.3 million. This may have caused a market spike with their move, leading to the Cincinnati Bengals' dilemma.

The Bengals are making new contract deals for their star cornerbacks that are frugal for themselves. Ward's deal not only makes him the highest-paid DB and spikes the cornerback market prices, but also helps two of the Bengals' cornerbacks, DJ Turner II and Dax Hill.

"I've predicted that Turner will ultimately sign on the dotted line sometime during training camp along with Dax Hill," Matt Fitzgerald of Stripe Hype wrote on July 29. "Yet Ward's extension complicates that path."

Fitzgerald on Stripe Hype highlighted the problem as both Turner and Hill are playing on their last contract years, with Turner being on a four-year, $6.1 million contract, including a $1.4 million bonus and $3.2 million guaranteed.

Hill is on a four-year, $11.6 million, fully guaranteed contract, including a $5.6 million signing bonus. Now, seeing Ward's contract, although he is a much bigger-stature player, will unknowingly affect the prices and demands of both cornerbacks.

While Hill is priced at $40 million in market value for four years, according to Spotrac, the 25-year-old, on the other hand, is valued much higher at $63.4 million for three years, with an average annual salary of $21.1 million.

The Bengals will be facing a financial dilemma on whether to match the market value as both the contracts expire at the end of the 2026 NFL season.

Amid Ward's contract extension, one of the executives is not worried about the contract extensions for now.

Denzel Ward's contract extension may spiral into a debate around the Bengals' cornerbacks

Ward's contract extension is bound to affect the cornerback market. However, Cincinnati's director of player personnel, Duke Tobin, said before Ward's extension deal that the contracts aren't a concern for now and that the team is looking forward to the season, as found in an interview with FOX 19 analyst Joe Danneman.

"I think everyone is locked in on the season,” Tobin said on July 27. “And we’ll see what the future holds. But right now, our focus is winning and winning now. I’m not going to give any potential contract details or anything like that. Everyone’s under contract, and we want the good players to stay here long term. That’s always the way we’ve been."

The Bengals' training camp began on July 26 at the Kettering Health Practice Fields and will end on August 16.

While both cornerbacks will now look to secure decent contracts with the Bengals, it will be interesting to see who the Bengals prefer and whether they will look to extend both players' contracts.

Share your thoughts on whether Ward's contract will make it difficult for Cincinnati.

Read more at Cincinnati Bengals Community.

Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar