Bengals star Jessie Bates III ends holdout, signs tender

After a lengthy holdout that included missing training camp, Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III has returned to the team's facility and signed his franchise tender.

The tender is reportedly worth $12.911 million.

Bates had long sought after a long-term deal with the squad but was unable to come to terms on an agreement. Among several reasons for this was Cincy's preference to save money for other key players awaiting hefty contracts, including Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.

Bengals team president Mike Brown called Bates' case "a puzzle" prior to his signing, adding that "it just doesn't all fit perfectly.

"We're going to have some pluses," he said during the team's media luncheon. "We're going to get some guys signed that are critical to the team, and we're going to lose some guys."

The team was adamant not to let Bates slip from under its grasp in the short term, but its position on him for the next few years could be different.

The fifth-year safety from Wake Forest played an integral role in the Bengals' playoff push, recording 20 tackles, while batting down six passes and picking off two, including one in Super Bowl LVI. Bates posted 88 tackles, four passes deflected, a fumble recovery and a solo INT during the regular season. 

The 25-year-old was a second-team All-Pro recipient in 2020.