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As USA Today's Tom Pelissero first reported, the Bengals have reached an agreement on a contract extension with Giovani Bernard. The deal is good for three years and $15.5 million.

The move makes it clear that fantasy football owners will have to deal with a shared backfield for the foreseeable future.

The former second-round pick was entering the final year of his rookie deal, and this one reportedly pays him like a top 10 back, with $6 million in new money this year. The deal ties him to the team through 2019.

Profootballtalk.com's Darin Gantt points out that Bernard's not a conventional runner, as he's never topped 750 yards on the ground in a season. But he's caught 148 passes in three season, and couples with Jeremy Hill to give the Bengals a potent combination in the backfield.

Fansided.com recently noted that while Hill may have been the "starter", when the game was on the line, Bernard was the man in the. It wouldn't be a surprise if that's the case again this season.

Despite the free-agent departures of Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, the Bengals have no shortage of play-making talent in A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Andy Dalton, Brandon LaFell and Hill.

But even on a team with so many weapons, Bernard could be the most dynamic of the group with his ability to do so much out of the backfield and his ability to hold onto the football compared to his running mate Hill.

One could see Bernard being asked to do a bit more -- perhaps even serve as an X-factor to keep the offense rolling this year.