{"id":118488,"date":"2021-07-26T12:27:08","date_gmt":"2021-07-26T16:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=118488"},"modified":"2022-08-26T11:14:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T15:14:00","slug":"sam-hubbard-extension-signals-cincinnati-bengals-new-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/07\/26\/sam-hubbard-extension-signals-cincinnati-bengals-new-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Sam Hubbard Extension Signals Cincinnati Bengals New Leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the onset of the off-season, a Sam Hubbard<\/a> extension looked like a priority for the Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>. After all, the hometown kid and Ohio State graduate has acted as a voice for the community and been a leader inside the locker room. On Sunday, the organization worked with the defensive end (entering his fourth NFL season) to complete a deal that will keep him in Cincinnati into his thirties. While Hubbard has more to prove in seasons to come, he is a versatile and statured member of this young corps. Heading into this season, they have erased one of their biggest contract question marks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After Completing the Sam Hubbard Extension, the Cincinnati Bengals Now Have a Clear Defensive Leader<\/span><\/h2>\n

Seemingly, it was a deal that was never in doubt; the cash was just a matter of doing business. On Sunday, Sam Hubbard inked a four-year, $40 million extension<\/a> to stay with his hometown Cincinnati Bengals. A graduate of football powerhouse Archbishop Moeller High School, Hubbard is a community and lockerroom leader the team could not afford to lose. Not that his departure was on the table; he speaks highly<\/a> of the organization and the Zac Taylor-led coaching staff. Drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft by Marvin Lewis<\/a>, he has made a positive impression throughout the entire organization. Hubbard was one of the faces chosen to participate in the team\u2019s \u201cNew Stripes<\/a>\u201d uniform launch this spring. Interestingly, they are also building a defense in his hard-working, high-motor mold as a player.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Being the hometown hero can be a tough spotlight to live in, but Hubbard played the role as well as most any you'll see. <\/p>\n

Marvin Lewis loved Hubbard as a rookie and Taylor-Anarumo have basically tried to build the defense as a replica of his play style. <\/p>\n

He earned this.<\/p>\n

— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) July 25, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n