For the second year in a row, Ted Karras has agreed to a one-year extension. The veteran center inked his latest Bengals pact Friday morning, per a team announcement. 
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This is a $5MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Last summer, team and player agreed to a re-up averaging $6MM across 2024 and ’25, with $4.8MM in new money being owed for the coming campaign. Karras has now received another new pact of similar value; he is under contract through 2026 as a result.
Karras spent his first six seasons in the AFC East, playing out his rookie contract with the Patriots before taking a one-year Dolphins contract. That was followed by a return to New England on another one-year accord. The former sixth-rounder then joined the Bengals on a three-year, $18MM pact as part of the team’s offensive line renovations of that offseason.
Since then, Karras has been a mainstay up front for Cincinnati. The Illinois product has missed only one game to date, and he has delivered consistent performances for his third career team. Karras graded out as PFF’s 15th-best center during his first two Bengals campaigns, and he checked in at No. 21 last year. He will be counted on to remain at that level for at least another two years while also filling a notable leadership role in Cincinnati.
At 32, Karras is presumably closer to the end of his career than the beginning. On multiple occasions this offseason, however, he informed Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer he does not foresee a retirement decision being made in the near future. Team and player will look to continue their relationship through the 2026 campaign at a minimum, although another new contract could be in store if Karras continues to play at a consistent level this season.