The legal tampering period, allowing teams to communicate with pending free agents, begins at noon Monday, and the Bengals are working to lock up players they still have in their plans moving forward.
Ford’s deal includes a $1 million signing bonus, per NFL insider Albert Wilson, and annual salaries of $1.5 million in 2025 and $2.3 million in 2026, along with a $29,412 per game active roster bonus annually and a $500,000 playtime incentive annually.
The versatile lineman joined the Bengals as an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason, and he has played in 33 games for Cincinnati, including 10 starts — five at left tackle, two at left guard, two as a third tight end and one at right tackle.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Last year, Ford was the team’s backup swing tackle who was needed when Amarius Mims exited with an injury in a Week 5 loss to the Ravens and then when Orlando Brown suffered a leg injury in a Week 7 win against the Browns. He made five consecutive starts in Brown’s place and did well enough in those snaps for Ford to push left guard Cordell Volson to the bench when Brown returned.
With the Bengals’ decision to cut right guard Alex Cappa and concerns about Volson’s development at left guard, Ford has a chance to compete for more opportunities in 2025.
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