The city of Cincinnati can exhale.
The Bengals aren’t going anywhere…at least for the foreseeable future.
The Bengals are staying in CincinnatiGettyIn what has been an intense and ongoing negotiation between the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County, the two sides reached an agreement on Thursday afternoon, right before the June 30 deadline.
Hamilton County approved the framework of a new lease that will keep the Bengals in downtown Cincinnati through at least 2036.
Paycor Stadium will receive a $470 million renovation to help modernize the home of the NFL franchise.
The Bengals will contribute $120 million, through the help of the NFL (G-5 loan), while the county will provide the other $350 million.
After 2036, there are five two-year options that could extend the lease all the way up to 2046 before the two sides would have to negotiate again.
Overall, it is a win-win for both sides, as just a few months ago the Bengals’ future in Cincinnati seemed very much up in the air.
At the NFL owner’s meetings early this spring, Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn didn’t mince her words on how the negotiations were going, even stating the fact that the Bengals could leave if they wanted to.
“We could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year if we didn’t pick the option up,” Blackburn said according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.
“We’ll see. Like I said, all these things will be done in due course. We are having discussions, and so we’re hopeful that the county is thinking about it a lot, too, and wants to get it addressed in a way that would be beneficial to both of us.“
Fast forward to now, and the Bengals are in fact not going to “go wherever” they want.
Paycor Stadium was built in 2000Getty Paycor Stadium is located on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown CincinnatiThey are staying in Cincinnati, as they should be.
Both sides seem to be happy.
“It is a historic moment,” said Denise Driehaus the commissioner of Hamilton County.
Blackburn shared the same sentiment, in an official statement put out by the Bengals.
“This is a significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County as we secure the team’s future in Cincinnati,” Blackburn said.
“We thank the Hamilton County Commissioners for supporting this agreement to ensure Paycor Stadium remains an excellent venue and a focal point for Cincinnati’s riverfront.
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“We are proud to call Paycor Stadium our home and to keep our future here in Cincinnati, where it belongs.”
The Bengals were founded in 1967 and have only ever called Cincinnati home. It wouldn’t be right, if the tiger stripes were to ever leave the Queen City.
Paycor Stadium was built in 2000 and has fallen behind in terms of modern-day NFL stadiums. It has an estimated worth of about $830 million.
Now that the $470 million infusion is on the way, the Bengals are hoping to catch up to the rest of the league.
With franchise quarterback Joe Burrow, as well as star wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, leading the charge, the future remains bright in Cincinnati.
And now it can be definitively said, the future is going to remain in Cincinnati.
The stadium is a done deal and the offense is locked in, but NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Shemar Stewart are still in contract purgatory.
That will now be the focus for the Bengals as Burrow can’t put up 40 points every week, although he will give it a good go.
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