The Cincinnati Bengals have used their franchise tag on safety Jesse Bates III. This will allow the Bengals to keep Bates for another year, while pushing contract talks back. He was a key piece in taking Cincinnati to their first Super Bowl since 1989.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the news via Twitter on Monday.
Bates played in 15 of 17 games during the 2021-2022 season. He recorded 88 combined tackles, four defended passes and one interception during the season. In their run to the Super Bowl, he recorded two more interceptions, including one in the end zone during the final game.
After being drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Bengals, he has become a top-10 safety in the league. He likely would have garnered a rich contract after helping the team go deep in the playoffs. The franchise tag gives the team time to see if they want to commit that kind of money to a back-end player.
Featured image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
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