One of the NFL’s best young safeties, Jessie Bates is going into a contract year. The former second-round pick expressed interest in signing a Bengals extension earlier this summer, but the sides are not currently on track to hammer one out.
Bates and the Bengals are not progressing on a deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), who adds the sides are not expected to reach an agreement at this time. While four weeks remain until the regular season begins, this situation has become one to monitor.
The Bengals have used their training camp and preseason stretches to reach extension agreements with core players in recent years — from A.J. Green to Carlos Dunlap to Geno Atkins to Joe Mixon. The team just extended defensive end Sam Hubbard, who joined Bates as a 2018 draftee. Bates certainly profiles as a fellow extension candidate and can aim for a deal north of $14MM annually. Jamal Adams is poised to reset the safety market; others at the position will be observing what his Seahawks talks produce.
The 24-year-old defender changed agents in 2020, preparing for negotiations once he became eligible for a new deal after his third season. Bates is coming off a strong third season, one that put him on the radar for a possible top-market safety pact. Pro Football Focus rated the Wake Forest product No. 1 overall at the safety position in 2020, when Bates intercepted three passes and eclipsed the 100-tackle barrier for the third straight season.
Cincinnati would have the franchise tag to place on Bates in 2022, should these talks fail to produce a deal. The Jets and Saints took this route with safeties Marcus Maye and Marcus Williams, respectively, this year. The Bengals balked at tagging defenders William Jackson or Carl Lawson this year, moving instead to let them walk and replace them in free agency. It would surprise if the team allowed Bates to test the market next year, but he remains attached to his rookie contract without much momentum to change that arrangement at this point.
Isn’t he the dude that lit up Juju going across the middle? What a shot that was, fumble and all!
No that was von bell
The Bengals better not screw this up. He’s a great young player. Get him signed now.
Bates isn’t going anywhere. Both sides want to get this deal done. It is in no way surprising that it’s going to take some time and compromise to get there tho.
Exactly. Usually it’s some minute legalese between the agent and team that needs cleaned up before they put pen to paper but it’ll be done before September 12