Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates signed his franchise tag on the same day NFL rules required the team to trim the roster to 80 players.
Buy Bengals TicketsWith Bates in the fold, the team shifted safety and kick returner Brandon Wilson to the PUP list. That designation now means he won’t count against the roster but can’t return until after Week 4.
Wilson remains one of the more dangerous kick returners in the NFL. But while he’s been out, sophomore running back Chris Evans has been electric in the role, so the veteran might not be in the mix, depending on what coaches want to do with secondary depth.
To align with the cutdown deadline, the Bengals also waived quarterback Drew Plitt.