On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills signed WR Khalil Shakir to a four-year, $60.2m contract extension, keeping him in Bills blue through the 2029 season. In a year with many players expecting fresh commitment, starting CB Christian Benford should be up next. Cases could be made for LB Terrel Bernard or RB James Cook, but only one player this offseason needs a new deal immediately, and it's Benford.
A hard-earned extension
Christian Benford was a bright spot for the Buffalo Bills in 2024. He was a bright spot for the Buffalo Bills in 2023. Christian Benford was a bright spot for the Buffalo Bills in 2022. Expectations for 2025 are set; he'll be a bright spot.
The secondary saw a great deal of change over the last two seasons, but the one area that hardly ever failed was at CB2-turned-CB1. Benford excelled in coverage, was a willing tackler, and made his fair share of plays on the ball. Most of the NFL hardly knows his name, but he's one of the best zone-coverage corners in the league.
It's a luxury, having a cornerback so effective that you rarely hear from him. Buffalo had something similar when Tre'Davious White was in his prime.
Why Christian Benford?
The urgency around retaining Christian Benford is real. Debate at will about the skill levels of Terrel Bernard and James Cook, or the value they bring to the Buffalo Bills; there is only one player on the Bills who must be retained right now.
Both Cook, who reportedly wants $15m annually to stay in Buffalo, and Bernard are very good. Don't discredit them, both players deserve new money. Still, both players can safely test the market. Both can enter their final season without a deal.
Running backs are valued at an inconsistent rate in the NFL, with some teams refusing to commit to one and others vastly overpaying for them. Middle linebacker is a communication position above all else and, though Bernard is excellent and should be kept, he too is in a crowded position group expected to hit the market at the same time.
Cook and Bernard will receive competitive offers if they go another 365 days without a new contract. As a high-level cornerback in the modern age, Christian Benford's offers will eclipse both.
Cornerback is simply that much more important league-wide in 2025. In a year with a shock of available cash, the big deals must be prioritized. Giving him that deal now, when the team can manipulate the money and keep the rest of the league out of his ears, they prevent him from setting the market with enormous offers from the competition. Cornerbacks of his quality don't hit free agency often, and for good reason.
Terrel Bernard should be extended. James Cook has the chops to get a big contract in this league. Neither should be prioritized over Christian Benford right now. All these statements can coexist.
Money moves
Christian Benford is, of course, set to make a massive amount. His new contract would likely eclipse most cornerbacks. The current projection is in the $90m range on a four-year extension. Though pundits and analysts hold no consensus, Spotrac projects Benford's new contract: four years, $92m- that's a $23m average annual value (AAV).
The Buffalo Bills already frontloaded Khalil Shakir's contract, with the money expected to hit early and settle later. If they aimed to do something similar with Benford, they can make certain that the future salary cap remains unmuddied.
This deal would make him the third-highest paid cornerback in NFL history, in terms of AAV. In two years time, he'd fall to 15th, or ever lower. The market continues to accelerate, and the salary cap continues to boom. If Buffalo acts quickly they can beat the market, and keep Christian Benford on the roster for the foreseeable future, whilst other teams are forced to pay top dollar for less effective players.