The Buffalo Bills have made it a goal of theirs this offseason to extend their own core of star players, and they continued forward with that initiative on Saturday. After handing out huge new deals to Josh Allen, Gregory Rousseau, Khalil Shakir, and Terrell Bernard, star cornerback Christian Benford became the latest to join that group.
Benford put together his best campaign in 2024, racking up 64 tackles, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a sack while forming an elite duo alongside Bernard at cornerback. After locking up one half of this duo, the Bills front office took care of Benford, handing him a huge four-year, $76 million contract extension.
“Another Buffalo extension: Bills and Christian Benford reached agreement on a four-year, $76 million extension, per Hadley Engelhard
and Jim Ulrich of EnterSports Management,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Bills solidify their secondary with Christian Benford contract extension
Related Buffalo Bills NewsArticle continues below
Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) intercepts a pass and runs towards the end zone with the ball during second half action at the Bills home game against the New York Jets
Mandatory Credit: Tina MacIntyre-Imagn Images
Benford's impact was on full display in Buffalo's AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs this past season, as he was forced out of the game early with a concussion, resulting in Kaiir Elam being thrown into the action. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes picked on Elam all day long, and it's fair to wonder whether the Bills would have managed to pick up a victory had Benford managed to stay healthy for the entirety of this game.
Buffalo's front office has made it clear with their moves this offseason that they feel like their 2024 team was on the right track to make it to the Super Bowl, which is why they are keeping their best players in town on these long-term deals. With Benford and Bernard extended, the Bills won't have to worry about the cornerback position anytime soon, which should allow them to focus on upgrading other areas of their roster as the rest of the offseason unfolds.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided and the Basketball Network.