Report: Evan McPherson, Bengals agree to three-year, $16.5 million extension

While Cincinnati Bengals fans await contract news regarding star wideout Ja’Marr Chase, there was good news on the contract front on Friday: The franchise has extended kicker Evan McPherson.

And the deal, worth $16.5 million over three years, is set to pay out a kicker like never before, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. McPherson is set to make $10 million in additional new money during the first year of the deal, the highest-ever in a three-year deal for a kicker.

McPherson is likely worth it for the Bengals, as he’s not only been a dependable kicking presence on run-of-the-mill field goals and extra points, but has shown a penchant for stepping up and drilling clutch kicks to tie games, go ahead, or even walk it off with a win.

In three years in the NFL, playing 49 regular season games, McPherson has gone 78-of-93, good for an 83.9% make rate during the regular season. In his career, he’s missed just one kick inside of 40 yards in the regular season, and has a career long of 59 yards. He was also perfect on extra points in 2024.

And in the postseason, McPherson has been near flawless. His only missed kick? An extra point in the 2022 playoffs. Otherwise, he’s gone 19-of-19 on field goals in the postseason.

McPherson was selected by the Bengals in with the fifth pick of the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, coming out of Florida.

The Bengals got bad news about a depth running back

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chris Evans suffered a torn patellar tendon during practice on Thursday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The injury will end the former Michigan standout’s season.

The injury occurred during the Bengals’ joint practice with the Chicago Bears amid both team’s training camp schedules. Evans was reportedly injured while covering a kickoff near the end of the practice. His right leg was placed inside an air cast before being carted off the field.

Evans has spent three seasons in Cincinnati since being drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s appeared in 34 games for the Bengals over that time totaling 19 carries for 89 yards. He’s also been used on special teams, even being the team’s kickoff returner on 14 occasions, where he’s totaled 314 yards and kickoffs.

During his time with Michigan, Evans totaled over 1,500 career rushing yards to go with 14 touchdowns to his credit. He was also a threat out of the backfield, leading the Bengals to want to draft the former Wolverine with their sixth-round pick that year.