Cincinnati Bengals executives Mike Brown and his daughter Katie Blackburn talk on the sideline during a session of organized team activities on the Bengals practice field at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn Releases Statement on New Lease Agreement

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Jay Morrison | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 1:43 PM ET

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals issued a statement in reaction to today’s Hamilton County Commissioners meeting in which they reached an agreement with the team on the framework for a new lease.

“Proud to call Cincinnati home,” the team posted from it’s official social media accounts.

That’s obviously in reference to the option of moving the team, either to another county locally or another city altogether, if the two sides do not sign a new lease by Monday.

The lease isn’t finalized yet, but today’s announcement was a huge step toward it.

The social media posts including a graphic with the following statement from Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn:

“This is a significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County as we secure the team’s future in Cincinnati,” it began, with the words “future in Cincinnati highlighted in orange.

“This new deal ensures Paycor Stadium remains an excellent venue and a focal point for Cincinnati’s riverfront,” the statement continued. “We are proud to call Paycor Stadium our home and to keep our future here in Cincinnati, where it belongs.”

Proud to call Cincinnati home.

: https://t.co/qetCsLz0JF pic.twitter.com/VWR9TRQYSQ
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) June 26, 2025

Today’s agreement comes four days before the old lease was set to expire Monday, although the Bengals could have opted into a two-year extension of the old lease, during which time they could have explored options for moving the team.

But relocating to any surrounding counties would have been a longshot given that it would have involved the construction of a new stadium that would have necessitated the Bengals paying a substantial portion of the cost.

And moving the team to a new city would have required approval from NFL owners.

It’s all moot after today’s meeting, as the Bengals will call Paycor home long after any of their current players’ contracts expire.

With the stadium lease behind them, the Bengals can put all of their focus on their other negotiations that have been dragging for months – a new contract for Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson and a first contract for rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Bengals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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