Bates gets the tag

The Bengals are applying the franchise tag to S Jessie Bates III. The move keeps the star safety from hitting unrestricted free agency. We'll see whether the 2 sides can reach agreement on a long-term deal, though. Bates admitted during the 2021 season that distraction over his lack of a contract extension was inhibiting his play. His performance rebounded. Now we'll see about the relationship. Bates posted his worst fantasy season among 4 years in 2021, with the primary culprit a lack of coverage plays. He averaged 10.3 passes defensed through his 1st 3 campaigns, snagging 3 INTs each year. Last season found Bates collecting just 1 INT and 4 passes defensed.