The Cincinnati Bengals signed kicker Shayne Graham, who was designated as the team's franchise player, to a one-year contract on Thursday.
Graham, who became a free agent after the 2008 season, agreed to a contract equal to the average of the top five place kickers in the NFL in 2008.
The Virginia Tech graduate is entering his seventh season with the orange and black.
Graham ranks fourth all-time in the NFL for field goal accuracy (85.6 percent).
He also holds team records for field goal percentage (87.5), points in a season (131), field goals in a season (31), field goals in one game (seven) and consecutive field goals made (21).
“We’re happy Shayne is signed in advance of our offseason camps,” said head coach Marvin Lewis, “and this does not preclude our continuing to talk to Shayne and his representatives about reaching a longer-term agreement.”
Graham is also a Bengals leader in service to the community. His
"Kicks for Kids" program provides a wide range of assistance for at-risk children in Greater Cincinnati, and he has been a board member of the Cincinnati
FreeStore FoodBank. In 2008, he helped organize the nation’s most successful “Taste of the NFL” event, raising more than $170,000 for meals for the hungry.
