According to Kelsey Conway, Bengals S Jessie Bates has returned to the team facility Tuesday.
He plans to sign his franchise tag and get ready for the 2022 season.
Bates was tagged back in March but he did not sign the tender. It was reported that he had “no intention” of playing under the deal and he made it clear he’s looking for an extension that puts him at or near the top of the safety market.
That has since moved to $18-$19 million a year, so Bates hopes a healthy and productive season will earn him a deal in that range in 2023.
Bates will make $12.9 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season under the franchise tag.
Bates, 25, is a former second-round pick of the Bengals back in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract worth $4,947,818 that included a signing bonus of $1,678,412.
Bates was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2022 when the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him worth $12.911 million fully guaranteed.
In 2021, Bates appeared in 15 games for the Bengals and recorded 88 tackles, one interception, a fumble recovery, and four pass deflections.
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