CINCINNATI — The Bengals signed RB Giovani Bernard to a two-year contract extension through the 2021 season, the team announced Tuesday.
Bernard, 27, gets a raise to $5.9 million this year and $11M the next two years, including a $600,000 guaranteed bonus in March, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The Bengals did not release terms of the deal.
Bernard, a seventh-year player, was in the final year of his contract.
“Gio is a guy we can count on,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said in a release. “He’s been a dependable, steady back in this league for a long time. He’s a great leader for this team, so we feel it’s very important to have him around in the years to come.”
Bernard has 744 career rushes for 3,111 yards (4.2 average) and 19 touchdowns. He ranks second in team history in both receptions (265) and receiving yards (2,278) by a running back, trailing only James Brooks (297 and 3012).
Bernard was the Bengals' second-round draft pick out of the University of North Carolina in 2013.
