The Bengals have placed the franchise tag on S Jessie Bates.
This move has been expected for a while. Bates and the Bengals have been negotiating since last offseason, trying to reach a long term deal, but the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. By using the franchise tag, the Bengals keep him under their control for at least another year.
Under the tag, he will make close to $13M on a 1 year deal. However, the two sides can still negotiate a long term deal from now until the July 15 deadline. If unable to reach a deal, it will be interesting to see if Bates will hold out from training camp, as the young safety has expressed a desire to not play under the franchise tag.
