CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III will be under contract with the team for at least one more season.
Bates was given the franchise tag designation ahead of Tuesday's deadline, a source told ESPN's Dan Graziano. Bates was on the verge of becoming a free agent once his rookie deal expired at the end of the league year.
The deal secures Bates' short-term future with the club that selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft. According to Spotrac, the tag is expected to be worth $13 million. At last week's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, Bengals executive Duke Tobin reiterated the franchise's position to keep him in Cincinnati.