Report: Bengals likely to tag Jessie Bates

Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates will likely receive the franchise tag as negotiations for a long-term contract extension continue, USA Today's Tyler Dragon reports.

The cost of the one-year tender for a safety is projected to be $13.54 million, according to Over The Cap.

Bates and the Bengals attempted to come to terms on an extension last offseason but were unsuccessful, setting the defensive back to play out the final year of his rookie contract.

The 25-year-old publicly expressed his frustrations with the lack of a new deal and said in November that it hampered his ability to prepare for the campaign.

After racking up 320 tackles and nine interceptions across his first three years in the NFL, Bates produced an inconsistent regular season before bouncing back with key performances during Cincinnati's run to the Super Bowl.

"Jessie's approach has been tremendous all year. Really been proud of him," Taylor said in February, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. "He's a big part of what we do. We're really proud of how he's led this team and how he played for us, really, over the last four years.

"Those are conversations that will always be ongoing. I think everyone knows we want Jessie to be a part of this. We'll just continue to work through those discussions."

Seattle Seahawks star Jamal Adams currently tops all safeties with a $17.5 million per year salary and $37 million guaranteed from a deal signed in August 2021.

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