Bengals pick up fifth-year option on Darqueze Denanrd

The Cincinnati Bengals exercised the fifth-year option on 2014 first-round draft pick Darqueze Dennard on Friday night.

It means that Dennard will be under contract through the 2018 season, and he will be slated to make over $8.5 million that year. When 2016 ended, Dennard wasn't sure how he felt about the idea of it being picked up but knew it meant the club still felt strongly about him and his future in the league.

"All I can do is control what I can control, work hard and just grind and keep praying," Dennard told The Enquirer about the idea of the option being exercised in January. "God got a plan."

Dennard, 25, was the 24th overall pick out of Michigan State in 2014 but has rarely seen…