Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III has tried and failed for two offseasons to finish a contract extension with the team. Now set to play under the franchise tag in his fifth season, it’s already too late for that until next year. He’s not happy about it, but as of earlier this week, he’s here.
The veteran skipped all of the offseason up to this point before reporting to training camp on Wednesday. Because he was offered a franchise tag and he did not sign it before reporting, he was technically not under contract, and thus under no obligation to participate in team activities, mandatory or otherwise, and so would not have been subject to any fines.