“Everyone is looking for the long-term contract so you can stay with your team for a good amount of years,” Nugent added. “Hopefully this tag will be an extension of our discussions. I understand the draft is the first priority at this time, but hopefully we can get (a long-term contract) done.”
Nugent had a base salary of $685,000 in 2011, the final season of a two-year contract he signed as a free agent prior to the 2010 season.
His 33 field goals and 132 points were franchise records and he ranked eighth in the NFL in field goal accuracy (33-of-38 for 86.8 percent). Nugent sent 67 of his 80 kickoffs into the end zone, with 36 resulting in touchbacks, helping the Bengals finish first in the NFL in opponents’ starting field position after kickoffs (20.3-yard line average).
Nugent said he is looking forward to building on those numbers and the team’s success in 2012.
“I am very excited for our team this season,” he said. “We have a great locker room, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off last season. We are happy with the season we had, and getting to the playoffs, but until you win the Super Bowl, there are always things that need improvement.”
The Bengals voted Nugent their 2011 winner of the Ed Block Courage Award after he recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that forced him to miss the final seven games of the 2010 season.
He said he is looking forward to a healthy offseason that will be highlighted by his upcoming wedding.
“Our wedding is playing a huge role in our lives right now, and signing the tender was something I wanted to move past before the wedding and the rest of the offseason,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jay.morrison@coxinc.com.
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