The Cincinnati Bengals and franchise-tagged safety Jessie Bates III did not come to a long-term contract agreement before the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET deadline on Friday, according to multiple reports, and now there’s a chance he may miss time in training camp and beyond.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bengals’ final offer to Bates guaranteed only $4 million more on a five-year contract than the $12.91 million he is scheduled to make on the one-year franchise tender in 2022 he received from the team earlier in the offseason. If Bates plays at all this year, he will do so under the franchise tag.