Christian Benford’s recent play reveals Brandon Beane’s contract magic

It was a hard-fought win in Week 14 for the Buffalo Bills, who took everything Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals threw at them.

Despite a 21-11 halftime deficit, Buffalo continued to fight back, making it a three-point game when Josh Allen’s 40-yard touchdown cut it to 28-25. The only question was whether the defense could hold.

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Not only did they answer that with a resounding yes, but Christian Benford gave his team the lead with a 63-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was his second defensive touchdown in as many weeks, and gave Buffalo its first lead on Sunday.

Benford, who also recorded a sack on Joe Burrow, was the Week 13 AFC Defensive Player of the Week, and could be in the mix for that honor again this week. That’s just another sign that general manager Brandon Beane hit a home run when extending Benford this offseason.

In March, Benford signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension, keeping him in Buffalo through 2029. Not only is that a steal in average annual salary, but Benford’s cap hit this year is just $2.6 million. In 2026, it goes up to $7.4 million, which is unbelievable for his skill level.

I need an update to how good that Benford contract looks now after locking up WR1s all season and changing multiple games

2.6m cap hit this year, 7.4m next year

Elite contract by Brandon Beane
— Kevin Massare (@KevinMassare) December 7, 2025

His interception on Burrow completely flipped the momentum, evidenced by the fact that A.J. Epenesa recorded an interception on a tipped pass on the very next defensive snap. That allowed the Bills to put the score out of reach as they improved to 9-4.

Christian Benford was a shutdown corner again on Sunday

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford runs the ball for a touchdown after an interception against the Bengals. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

While the sack and pick-six got all the attention, Benford was elite throughout the game in Week 14.

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Facing one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL, Benford was a shutdown corner. In 35 snaps, he was targeted just three times and allowed zero receptions.

In addition to his pick-six and sack, Bills CB Christian Benford allowed 0 receptions on 3 targets over 35 coverage snaps today, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
— Seth Walder (@SethWalder) December 7, 2025

His ability to take away half the field has been monumental for the Bills, as he’s getting hot at the right time.

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