Bengals All-Pro Safety Jessie Bates Ends Holdout
By Jason Hall
August 23, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates ended his holdout and has signed his franchise tag, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway initially reported on Tuesday (August 23).
Bates' franchise tag is valued at $12.9 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season, according to Conway.
The Bengals confirmed that re-signing Bates was among several roster moves made on Tuesday, which also included placing safety Brandon Wilson on the reserve/physically unable to perform list and waiving quarterback Drew Plitt.
Bates' return to the team comes as the Bengals prepare to host their Super Bowl LVI opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, for joint practices in Cincinnati this week.
Jessie Bates signed his franchise tag and will play the 2022 season on the tag value of $12.9 million fully guaranteed. #Bengals https://t.co/MYRi2VkAqv
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) August 23, 2022
The former second-team All-Pro safety was absent from the Bengals' entire offseason and majority of training camp sessions amid failed negotiations on a long-term contract prior to the July 15 deadline.
Bates hadn't signed his tender and was, therefore, not subject to fines for his absence from camp, according to NFL.com.
The former Wake Forest standout enters his fifth NFL season with 408 career tackles, 10 interceptions, 35 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.
The Bengals selected former Michigan safety Daxton Hill at No. 31 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft in March, which leads to speculation that Bates will likely sign elsewhere once he becomes a free agent next offseason.
Cincinnati is 19 days away from its season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium on September 11.