The Buffalo Bills extended linebacker Terrel Bernard as he was entering the final year of his rookie deal, presumably to get ahead of a big year that could up his value. He turns 26 this offseason and with recent developments with Matt Milano, the Bills are ensuring long-term stability at the linebacker position.
The new contract four years and $42.143 million on top of the $3.263 million he was supposed to make in 2025. The four-year new money average is $10.54 million while the five-year total contract is $9 million per season.
When you look at how the guaranteed money is structured, you could call it a three-year, $25.4 million contract with a team option for 2028 of $9.45 million and 2029 at $10.58 million.
How does Bernard’s deal compare to other linebacker contracts?
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The NFL hasn’t come to good terms with position groups at the pass rusher/linerbacker positions, listing some pass rushers at linebacker and some at defensive end, so this is a little fuzzy. Still, Bernard is a top-10 linebacker in the league according to annual average salary.
There is a considerable gap between Bernard’s $10.54 new-money average and Nick Bolton at $15 million and Zack Baun at $17 million. Old friend Tremaine Edmunds makes $18 million per season and Roquan Smith leads the NFL at $20 million per season with Fred Warner between the to at $19 million. Jamien Sherwood ($15 million) and Patrick Queen ($13.67 million) are both ahead of Bernard, too. Bernard is just ahead of Dre Greenlaw at $10.5 million per season.
Matt Milano’s 2023 extension was for $14.2 million per season but now he will make just $6.3 million in 2025 after his recent pay cut.
How much guaranteed money did Terrel Bernard receive from the Bills?
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Only $14.1 million of Bernard’s contract was fully guaranteed, which doesn’t even include his full 2026 compensation.
The full guarantee includes his 2025 compensation ($7.1 million), a 2026 option bonus ($6.75 million), and $250,000 workout bonus.
Another $1.9 million in 2026 compensation is injury guaranteed along with $7.84 million in 2027. In 2028, $1.348 million of his salary is injury guaranteed.
The Bills used a rolling guarantee for Bernard instead, where future money guarantees at a date after signing but far in advance of the actual time it needs to be paid. Almost $2 million of his 2026 salary guarantees after the Super Bowl in February 2026. In March 2026, the vast majority of his 2027 salary fully guarantees to the tune of $6.3 million. The remainder of his 2027 salary guarantees in March 2027.
Adding together the full guarantee, injury guarantee, and rolling guarantee, you get to the reported $23.85 million in ‘guaranteed’ money in the deal. All of that is accounted for in the first three years of the deal from 2025 to 2027.
How are the Bills managing the cap with the Terrel Bernard extension?
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Instead of giving Bernard a huge signing bonus in 2025, the Bills essentially split it over two seasons with the 2026 guaranteed roster bonus. Bernard will make $14 million in the next twelve months, but the 2025 $6 million signing bonus will be split over five seasons of cap management as with the 2026 $6.4 million option bonus.
The Bills added a void year in 2030 to facilitate that option bonus being prorated over the maximum five years.
Bernard’s cap hit in 2025 is $2.5 million and in 2026 it’s $5.5 million before jumping to $11.1 million in 2027. I don’t think that’s a coincidence given the recent Matt Milano news. Milano will have a nearly $10 million dead cap hit in 2026, so keeping Bernard low there will be helpful. Then when Milano’s dead cap comes off the books in 2027, Bernard’s cap hit can jump up.
What incentives are built into Terrel Bernard’s contract?
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Like most Brandon Beane contracts, there are both per-game active bonuses and workout bonuses available to Bernard. In this case, they aren’t included in 2025 (the final year of Bernard’s rookie deal) but kick in when the extension does in 2026.
Bernard can earn $250,000 per offseason in a workout bonus after 2025 for a total of $1 million between 2026 to 2029.
The per-game roster bonus is $30,000 up to $510,000 in each season after 2025. That’s another $2.04 million available to Bernard is he plays in every game from 2026 to 2029.
Bernard also has escalators in the deal if he earns first-team All-Pro nods. They are cumulative, so for every first-team All-Pro he earns, $500,000 will be added on to the base salary for each year for the rest of the contract. (It’s maxed at $1 million in 2027 and 2028 and $1.5 million in 2029 if he just can’t stop earning All-Pros.)
Full salary cap and contract numbers for the Terrel Bernard extension with the Buffalo Bills
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**2025**Rookie signing bonus proration: $228,248Signing bonus proration: $1.2 million
Base salary: $1.1 million (fully guaranteed)
Cap hit: $2,528,248
Yearly cash: $7.1 million
**2026**Signing bonus proration: $1.2 millionOption bonus proration: $1.35 millionWorkout bonus: $250,000Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $2.162 million (fully guarantees after Super Bowl 2026)
Cap hit: $5.472 million
Yearly cash: $9.672 million
**2027**Signing bonus proration: $1.2 millionOption bonus proration: $1.35 millionWorkout bonus: $250,000Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $7.84 million ($6.3M guarantees in March 2026, $1.54M in March 2027)
Cap hit: $11.15 million
Yearly cash: $8.6 million
**2028**Signing bonus proration: $1.2 millionOption bonus proration: $1.35 millionWorkout bonus: $250,000Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $8.69 million
Cap hit: $12 millionDead cap: $6.45 million
Cap savings if cut: $5.55 million
Yearly cash: $9.45 million
**2029**Signing bonus proration: $1.2 millionOption bonus proration: $1.35 millionRoster bonus: $1 million (March 2029)Workout bonus: $250,000Per-game active bonus: $30,000/game up to $510,000
Base salary: $8.824 million
Cap hit: $13.134 millionDead cap: $3.9 million
Cap savings if cut: $9.234 million
Yearly cash: $10.584 million