The Cincinnati Bengals on Monday used their franchise tag on safety Jessie Bates III, a source told ESPN.
Bates, a key cog in the team’s run to the Super Bowl, had 11 solo and 20 total tackles in Cincinnati’s four postseason games, along with six passes defensed and two interceptions. He held receivers 6.8% beneath their expected completion rate when he was the nearest defender in the playoffs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
A 2018 second-round pick by the Bengals out of Wake Forest, Bates, 25, had 67 solo tackles in the regular season, along with an interception, helping Cincinnati to the AFC North Division title.
In the Super Bowl loss to the Los Angeles Rams, he finished with six total tackles and an interception.
Bates has been at the core of a healthy locker room dynamic that was often cited for the Bengals’ 2021 success. He has also earned the vocal support of his teammates for a new contract as the franchise tag looms over him. What happens with Bates in the coming weeks, if not days, will prove to be a key point in Cincinnati’s build for the future.