Bengals cite Ravens’ stadium approach as lease talk gets going
The Cincinnati Bengals have much to juggle in the coming months, including Joe Burrow’s extension and possible extensions for Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson, too.
There’s also the matter of the team’s lease expiring in 2026.
That’s something Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn has on the agenda this offseason, too as they prep further stadium upgrades.
In fact, Blackburn sees inspiration within the AFC North when it comes to the stadium situation.
“I think we’re probably, to be fair, taking more of the Baltimore approach,” Blackburn said, according to The Athletic’s Jay Morrison. “I think we have a great stadium. Our stadium has been a great asset to the area, and we think if we can keep it up to a certain level, it can serve us well for a while longer. It’s a big project. And more power to Tennessee and New York for going that direction, but we feel our stadium has been a great asset and can be useful for a while.”
While teams like Buffalo and Tennessee eyeball entirely new stadiums with massive price tags, the Bengals sold the naming rights to Paycor Stadium on a 16-year deal, offering plenty of positive momentum toward the lease getting renewed.
For the Bengals, it’s about bridging the gap with the county by continually upgrading the current stadium to match modern contemporaries.
The Bengals finding a way to extend the lease with the county was never in much doubt, but it’s still interesting to hear Bengals brass point to even rivals as models they will follow in this pursuit.
