Bengals Cut Ford's Pay, Boost Cap Space

0:00It's April 24th. This is NFL News Today, AI-powered stories from around the league. I'm Cory with the story. The Bengals didn't touch Joe Burles' contract this offseason, but they did slice Cody Ford's future pay. Salary cap tracker spotted Ford's 2026 base salary dropping from $2.9 million to the league minimum of $1.3 million for his experience level. That move saves the team $1.6 million in both cap space and cash. It's not your typical restructure with bonuses, just a straight-up pay cut. Even so, Cincinnati has enough cap room left to sign their full draft class and undrafted free agents without cutting anyone. Bengals fans have been pushing hard for a burrow rework to stack the roster for Superbowl runs every year. The team's cap space is now among the league's lowest, which shows they're spending to compete. That big tray for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence fired up the fan base, signaling and all-in push. It could still tweak Burles deal or those of new free agents, keeping the roster aggressive.

1:04Ford's been solid-depth since joining in 2023, starting 10 games at guard and tackle. With moves like this, the Bengals stay flexible heading into a contention window.