Barrett Carter

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		17	106	—	1
2025		17	106	0.0	1

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Bengals struck gold with Barrett Carter's four-year, $5.2M extension, locking up a rotational linebacker at what amounts to backup money while getting starter-level impact. At just $1.3M annually, Carter's deal earns an A CVI by delivering elite value for a player who's carved out a meaningful role in Cincinnati's defense despite not being an every-down fixture. The modest $1.0M guaranteed keeps the Bengals' risk minimal while the four-year term provides crucial depth stability at a position where injuries are inevitable. For a rotational player making less than most special teams contributors, Carter's production level far exceeds his salary tier, making this the kind of under-the-radar signing that championship rosters are built on. Cincinnati essentially secured a solid defensive contributor for pennies on the dollar, freeing up cap space to address premium positions while maintaining quality depth at linebacker.

Performance Analysis

Barrett Carter earns a D+ for the Bengals at linebacker, a young defender who is still growing into his role in Cincinnati's defense. Carter has shown flashes of the sideline-to-sideline range that made him a coveted prospect, and his blitzing ability from the second level is a weapon. However, his reads against the run have been slow, and he has been caught out of position in zone coverage too often. The Bengals are developing him as a long-term piece, and the early indicators are mixed but not without hope. Carter needs to improve his processing speed to become the impactful linebacker Cincinnati envisioned when they drafted him.