Clock is Ticking: Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County Have Until June 30 to Agree on New Stadium Lease

One week away.

Jun 10, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) jogs practice at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images | Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The clock is ticking on the Bengals and Hamilton County.

The two sides have until June 30 to agree to a new stadium lease. Things looked promising when they agreed to a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) in April, but they haven't come to an official agreement.

What happens if they don't come to an agreement?

The Bengals will use Paycor Stadium this year. They could exercise a two-year option by the June 30 deadline. If they do that, then they'll certainly look at other county's in the Cincinnati area that would love to have an NFL team.

Hamilton County fired their law firm representing them in negotiations in May. That threw a wrench into talks and makes it feel like a deal is much less likely than it was when they agreed to a MOU.

Maybe a deal gets done before the deadline. Maybe the Bengals are open to using the multiple two-year options that they have with hopes of striking a long-term deal.

However, if an agreement isn't in place by June 30, it's fair to wonder if the Bengals will be leaving downtown Cincinnati.

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