Bengals Place Franchise Tag on S Jessie Bates III

With free agency around the corner and no long-term contract in place, the Bengals elected to use the franchise tag on safety Jessie Bates III on Monday.

The #Bengals have tagged star S Jessie Bates, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 7, 2022

Had Bates made it to March 14th without a contract in place, teams other than the Bengals could’ve legally begun negotiating with him. The new league year – and free agency with it – begins on March 16th.

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Despite the team’s success and his own reputation, Bates drew wide criticism for his performance in the 2021 regular season. He logged fewer than 100 total tackles (88) and 70 solo tackles (67) for the first time in his career. He earned a 56.2 grade for his regular season from Pro Football Focus, who credited Bates with 30 receptions allowed on 36 targets. His 2021 totals in interceptions (1) and pass defenses (4) were the lowest single-season marks of Bates’ 4-year career.

Conversely, Bates was widely credited with a substantial role in the Bengals’ AFC Championship run. He earned a 90.0 grade from PFF, and logged more interceptions (2) and pass defenses (6) in the Bengals’ four playoff games than he did in his 15 regular season games.

It’s possible the Bengals don’t fully know what to make of Bates’ 2021 campaign. Now, they’ll be able to observe his 2022 season before offering him a long-term contract.

– Andy Hammel is the Managing Editor for the Bengals at Full Press Coverage. Follow @Andy_Hammel