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          Bengals sign RB Bernard to 2-year extension

          • Ben Baby, ESPN Staff WriterSep 3, 2019, 06:53 PM
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              Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
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          CINCINNATI -- Veteran Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard has a new deal that should keep him with the team for a couple more seasons.

          Bernard and the team have agreed to a two-year extension through the 2021 season, the team announced Tuesday.

          According to ISA Sports & Entertainment, the agency that represents him, the deal is worth $10.3 million and includes $600,000 guaranteed, to be paid in March 2020.

          The seventh-year player out of North Carolina was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. But even with the rise of running back Joe Mixon, Bernard has maintained an integral role in the offense. In 2018, he caught 35 passes for 218 yards, in addition to his 56 rushing attempts for 211 yards. In six seasons with the Bengals, Bernard has appeared in 83 games and made 18 starts.

          Under the terms of his previous deal, Bernard was set to receive $4.5 million this year. That will increase to $5.9 million, according to the NFL Network.

          Bernard's is the second notable extension Cincinnati's front office issued during the offseason. In July, wide receiver Tyler Boyd signed a four-year extension worth $43 million.

          "Gio is a guy we can count on," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. "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."