Cody Ford seemingly takes pay cut with Bengals entering 2026 NFL season
This is a good move for the Bengals.
Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals guard Cody Ford (61) runs against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Darren Hall (30) and safety Jalen Thompson (34) during the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Joe Burrow hasn’t had his contract restructured this offseason, but the Bengals did apparently restructure offensive lineman Cody Ford’s contract. Salary cap expert Andrew Perrota noticed on Over The Cap that the team cut Cody Ford’s 2026 pay down to a league-minimum deal.
“Based on Over The Cap, it looks like Cody Ford agreed to a pay cut for 2026,” Perrota posted on Twitter. “Previously, Ford was scheduled to earn $2. 9 million in cash (non-GRTD) in 2026.
His new 2026 base salary (cash earnings) is down to the league minimum (for a player with Ford’s number of credited seasons) of $1. 3M. Cap and cash savings of $1.
6M. “This is not a restructure (base to bonus conversion), but rather a straight pay cut. Bengals have plenty of cap room to sign all of their draft picks and UDFAs and don’t need to cut anyone to sign their entire class (drafted + undrafted).