Monday’s franchise tag was placed by the Cincinnati Bengals on safety Jessie Bates III. He will remain with the team through the 2022 season.
The Bengals tried unsuccessfully to reach a long-term agreement for Bates, who was 25 years old when his rookie contract expired. This put him on the brink of becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Bates was selected in round 2 of the 2018 draft. He has been a leader on the team. He was an integral player when the Bengals won their first Super Bowl in 33-years in 2021.
Bates will remain under contract for $13 million through 2022 as the team negotiates a long-term agreement.
Katie Blackburn, Cincinnati’s executive vice president for football, said that Jessie was an “exceptional player” over the past four years. “We’ve been trying to extend his contract here at Cincinnati over the past year. While that didn’t happen, we want him to be here for 2022 to be part of what we believe should be an exciting football season. We also hope for a bright future for our team.”
Bates played in 163 games for Cincinnati — all starts. He has 406 tackles, 10 interceptions and one touchdown.
