The Buffalo Bills reached an agreement on Friday to sign starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard to a four-year contract extension worth up to $50 million, with $25.2 million of it guaranteed, in locking up their defensive leader through the 2029 season.

Last season, Bernard amassed 104 tackles, two interceptions, five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, one sack and three passes defensed. He was named a team captain in his third season.

Bernard has started in 31 games and played in 46 during his career. He has racked up 263 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, five interceptions, 15 tackles for loss, eight passes defensed and four fumble recoveries in his NFL career.

The Bills drafted Bernard out of Baylor in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

“It’s not always just the talent that draws us to people. It’s the total package of who they are as people and then what they can become as players and people as well,” coach Sean McDermott said of Bernard in January. “So he’s had that ‘it,’ that trait about him — that leadership trait.”

Bernard becomes the second member of Buffalo’s 2022 draft class to sign an extension in joining Khalil Shakir, who was re-upped with a four-year deal two weeks ago.

General manager Brandon Beane has placed a priority in locking up his young core of players this offseason, a year after Buffalo parted ways with numerous veterans as part of a salary cap-related purge.

Though the five-time defending AFC East champions are projected to have plenty of salary cap space in 2026, Beane still has work to do to get the Bills under the cap before the NFL’s business year opens next week. Buffalo was projected to be about $8.5 million over the cap after cutting punter Sam Martin on Thursday.