ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement on Friday to sign starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard to a four-year contract extension worth up to $50 million, with $25.2 million of it guaranteed, in locking up their defensive leader through the 2029 season.
The team announced the agreement while a person with direct knowledge of the deal provided The Associated Press the contract's monetary terms. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the Bills did not announce the contract's value.
The 25-year-old Bernard still has one year left on his rookie contract, and has quickly made an impact since being selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Baylor. He won the starting job in his second season and, last year, joined quarterback Josh Allen as being the team’s only two captains.
Bernard's a do-it-all player in Buffalo’s two-linebacker defensive system in teaming with veteran Matt Milano, and at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, has overcome initial questions over being undersized for the NFL level.
Last season, Bernard finished second on the team with 104 tackles, including five for a loss, had one sack, two interceptions and recovered a fumble in 13 games. In 2023, he had a team-leading 143 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks, three interceptions and recovered three fumbles.
“It’s not always just the talent that draws us to people. It’s the total package of who they are as people and then what they can become as players and people as well,” coach Sean McDermott said of Bernard in January. “So he’s had that ‘it,’ that trait about him — that leadership trait.”
Bernard becomes the second member of Buffalo's 2022 draft class to sign an extension in joining Khalil Shakir, who was re-upped with a four-year deal two weeks ago.
General manager Brandon Beane has placed a priority in locking up his young core of players this offseason, a year after Buffalo parted ways with numerous veterans as part of a salary cap-related purge.
Though the five-time defending AFC East champions are projected to have plenty of salary cap space in 2026, Beane still has work to do to get the Bills under the cap before the NFL's business year opens next week. Buffalo was projected to be about $8.5 million over the cap after cutting punter Sam Martin on Thursday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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