Bengals safety Jessie Bates has reportedly returned to the team’s facilities for the first time since the start of training camp, according to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Bates, a 2020 second-team All-Pro, had been away from the team due to failed contract negotiations with the franchise. The Bengals front office opted to place the franchise tag on the rising fifth-year player, but he had yet to sign the deal as of earlier this week.
Not only is Bates back in the building, but he now also plans to sign his franchise tender, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The one-year deal will pay the 25-year-old nearly $13 million in 2022.
Bates’s return comes just in time for him to get on the field for a pair of joint practices with the Rams this week before the team’s preseason finale on Saturday. To be eligible to practice, Bates must sign his franchise tag and pass a physical.
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Bates, a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, has blossomed into one of the most reliable safeties in the NFL with the Bengals. In his four years in Cincinnati, he has racked up 408 tackles, 35 passes defended and 10 interceptions during the regular season
Bates proved to be a pivotal piece of the Bengals’ run to the Super Bowl last year, coming up with two interceptions and six passes defended during the 2021 playoffs.
