Bengals place franchise tag on safety Jessie Bates III
CINCINNATI (AP) — Safety Jessie Bates III will be with the Cincinnati Bengals at least one more season. The Bengals placed the franchise tag on Bates after ongoing negotiations failed to produce a new contract. He’ll be under contract through the 2022 season for roughly $13 million as the team continues to negotiate a long-term deal with him. Cincinnati executive vice president Katie Blackburn said in a statement that the organization wants to keep Bates.