Ryan Rehkow's mindset after signing his new contract will make Bengals fans confident Cincinnati made the right decision

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By John Sheeran | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The two-year contract extension Cincinnati Bengals punter Ryan Rehkow signed Tuesday won't lock in a roster spot for him this year or the next. Not a single penny in the deal is guaranteed for him, meaning he'll have to continue proving to the team he's the best option at the position.

And that's perfectly fine for Rehkow, who's 26 and is only entering his second year in the NFL.

Rehkow won the Bengals' third offseason punter battle in as many years last August and put together an impressive rookie season. Cincinnati rewarded him with a two-year extension, but his goal is more than just completing the contract he just signed.

"I want to be here more than two years," Rehkow told Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson Tuesday. "Every single year, I just want to prove why I'm their guy. Why they should keep me around."

All smiles for @r_rehkow24 #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/9sWT0OlwEa
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) February 18, 2025

Buying out the remaining years Rehkow would've been an exclusive rights free agent signified the Bengals' willingness to let Rehkow continue his development. The natural ability is most definitely there. He already owns the single-season franchise records for gross yards per punt (49.1) and net yards per punt (42.9). The next step is putting that power to better use than just pure distance.

"I want to improve directionally. Just cutting the field in half, forcing the returners to make a good play," said Rehkow. "Because our coverage does a great job. They fly down the field setting the gunners up and the protection just to cover as well as possible."

The standard for punting in Bengals history retired almost exactly one year before Rehkow joined the team. Kevin Huber never had the strongest leg in the game, but he always knew how and where to pin the opposing team back inside their own territory. Rehkow managed to place 28 of his 53 punts inside the opposing 20, but 49.1% of those 53 punts were returned and not downed or placed out of bounds and he still finished seventh among season-long starters in net average.

Rehkow's path to improvement is crystal clear, and he's of the right mindset to achieve it despite already receiving his first multi-year deal.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: