Not so long ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were stuck in negotiations with a crucial deadline: June 30. Without a new deal or an exercised option, the Bengals would have had the freedom to explore alternatives, possibly even relocation. In April, Bengals Executive Vice President Katie Blackburn didn’t shy from that reality, admitting the team “could go wherever we wanted” if the lease wasn’t renewed.

But even in this phase of uncertainty, she was clear that Cincinnati was the preferred home. “We love where we are,” she said, noting the strategic advantage of staying downtown. Built in 2000 and formerly known as Paul Brown Stadium, Paycor has anchored Cincinnati’s riverfront and sports district for a quarter-century. Both sides were eager to continue the partnership and secure the Bengals’ future in Cincinnati.

And now, today was a day of celebration and relief in Cincinnati, as Blackburn herself announced that an agreement had been reached between the Bengals and Hamilton County. With a total of $470 million in the renovation package, where Hamilton County covers $350 million, while the Bengals (with NFL support) chip in $120 million, the agreement secures the team’s presence through at least 2036, with a new 10-year lease starting in 2025 and optional two-year extensions beyond that.

Adam Schefter on X, revealed what Blackburn said, “This is a significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County as we secure the team’s future in Cincinnati. We thank the Hamilton County Commissioners for supporting this agreement to ensure Paycor Stadium remains an excellent venue and a focal point for Cincinnati’s riverfront. We are proud to call Paycor Stadium our home and to keep our future here in Cincinnati, where it belongs.”

And as those final votes were cast, the culmination of a protracted negotiation process finally materialized: one driven by tight deadlines, shifting leverage, and public scrutiny. So let’s take a look at what held the deal back for so long. Both sides, the Hamilton County and the Bengals had accused each other of various strategies to favor their sides yet they found a middle-ground. So maybe it’s safe to say that the tensions and the accusations were rather a build-up for this monumental deal?

The road to the agreement of the Paycor Stadium renovations

The path to today’s breakthrough was anything but smooth; negotiations began in earnest over the past year, and tensions were rising on both sides as they tried to define their fairness and long-term vision. By January 2025, media reports even described the process as “getting ugly,” following the Bengals accusing Hamilton County of breaching terms of the original 1997 lease by failing to fulfill maintenance obligations, and even temporarily pulled lease extension offers in July 2024 in protest. In turn, the county officials claimed that the team stalled negotiations by withholding renovation plans and dragging its feet on compliance with bid requirements.

Complicating matters further, the county purchased 17 acres of riverfront land for parking improvements. While talking about the issue, Hamilton County Commission President Denise Driehaus said, “Some green there, some trees, a bike lane going along the side of it. So, something that’s more aesthetically pleasing than a concrete facility,” reflecting a broader clash over riverfront stewardship. By the spring, an escalator replacement vote (an $1.5 million upgrade), became a flashpoint. Commissioner Alicia Reece blocked it, provoking a fiery exchange: if the escalators were unsafe, she argued, the stadium should close until fixed. Despite this friction, both parties remained under a ticking clock; the original lease’s expiry date, June 30, 2025.

And when the tensions got to their highest point, and seeing the Bengals leave Cincinnati started to become a possibility, Katie Blackburn came to the rescue. Four days before deadline, the county approved a 2–0 framework agreement, informally resolving one of the NFL’s most fraught lease talks. Hamilton County agreed to cap its contribution at $350 million and allocate the remaining $120 million alongside the Bengals and NFL’s G‑5 loan assistance. It was Katie Blackburn’s framing that helped seal the deal. She emphasized that the $470 million plan was a “reasonable approach” to “modernize the 25‑year‑old stadium at a time when other communities are building billion‑dollar venues.” She made it clear that this was less about concession and more about stewardship. She ensured Paycor Stadium remains a riverfront anchor and a fan-first experience for years to come ahead.