Report: Jessie Bates to Sign Franchise Tag After Holding out for New Bengals Contract

With two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengal's holdout has ended.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the player reported to the facility on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old is set to sign his one-year franchise tender.

While the two sides worked out a long-term deal, the Bengals used their franchise tag on him to make sure they would be able to keep him for at least one more season.

When no deal materialized before the July 15 deadline, the 25-year-old had "no intentions" of attending training camp when the veterans arrived by July 26.

The franchise tag value for safeties is over 12 million dollars. In July, Rapoport reported that Cincinnati's final offer was only $4 million more in guaranteed money over five years than what he would make on the one-year tender.

Signing the tag ensures that he will be paid the full amount. He will be able to become a free agent next year.

If the two sides can't agree on an extension, the team will have to pay 120 percent of his salary for this season.

Since being selected in the second round of the NFL draft, Bates has been an important part of the Cincinnati defense. Over the past four years, the Indiana native has started all 63 games he's played and recorded at least 100 combined tackles. He made the All- Pro second team in 2020.

In 15 starts last year, he recorded a career-high three tackles for loss. He had two intercepts in the playoffs, one on Matthew Stafford in the second quarter of the Super Bowl.

Paul Brown Stadium will be the site of the opening game of the 2022.