Bengals' negotiations with Hamilton County for new stadium lease take unexpected turn according to latest report

The Cincinnati Bengals are in a handful of contract disputes at the moment, but there's only one with a strict deadline coming up.

Bengals ownership and Hamilton County have until June 30 to agree on whether or not to extend the lease of Paycor Stadium. The lease expires in June of 2026.

Recent exchanges between the club and county have indicated talks have not gone well. The dismissal of Tom Gabelman, who helped negotiate lease deals between the Bengals and Hamilton County since 1997, seemed to drive a wedge in talks with the deadline getting closer and closer.

The latest update is a lot more promising for both sides.

Bengals, Hamilton County making progress toward new Paycor Stadium lease

Bengals director of stadium and event operations Duane Haring told WKRC's James Pilcher the club and Hamilton County are moving forward with working out a deal without financial aid from the state of Ohio. Cincinnati has raised concerns about the state's upcoming budget providing funding for a new Cleveland Browns stadium without equal support for Paycor Stadium renovations.

According to Pilcher, the lease would cover 10 years with the option to extend another decade while the Bengals cover $120 million of the total renovation costs.

Haring confirmed that the Bengals are committing $120 million towards the $830 million renovation cost. The team and county are reportedly close to agreeing on a 10-year lease, with potential extensions for another 10 years. - WKRC's James Pilcher

Before Gabelman's dismissal at the request of Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich, the team and county reached a "memorandum of understanding" about a new lease in which the Bengals were set to commit the same $120 million in funding. 

If no deal is reached by June 30, the first of four two-year extensions can be applied to the current lease. This agreement would lock in a deal through the next 10 years and green-light several projects in the venue.  

The clock is ticking for a new lease agreement, and things can change in an instant as evidenced by the last month. As of now, it seems both sides are headed in the right direction.