The Bengals have signed G/OT Cody Ford to a 2 year/$6M contract.
Ford first signed with the Bengals in 2023, after previously spending time in Buffalo and Arizona. He made the team out of camp, and would go on to make 1 start that season.
After re-signing last offseason, he again served in a depth role. However, this time around, he was called upon much more frequently. Ford made 9 starts, and filled in part way through other games, both due to injuries and ineffective play from Cordell Volson.
Ford had a rocky start to his career. Though still nothing to write home about, he did take a decent step forward in 2024, showing enough reliability for a depth guy. His biggest asset is the versatility that he brings. Ford is able to fill in on either side at both G and OT. That is 4 out of the 5 OL positions, with C being the one that he doesn’t play.
Fresh off this new deal, Ford enters the offseason with more security than he did in the previous two. An AAV of $3M isn’t exactly a bank breaker, but it is a solid bump up. As well, he got that second year on the contract.
As far as his role is concerned, I wouldn’t expect much to change. It is possible he’ll be first off the bench at G, though that is a spot on the depth chart that he’ll likely be competing for. As for the OT depth chart, it is more likely that he is second or third off the bench (depending on health of the roster), assuming the Bengals make some additions through free agency and the draft.
