We now know more details about the standoff between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jessie Bates.
It would appear that guaranteed cash, as expected, is what set the two parties apart in negotiations.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared the following: “For the #Bengals and star S Jessie Bates: The team’s final offer guaranteed Bates only $4M more than what he would get if he eventually signs the franchise tag. Big difference is the tag locks Bates in for one year while the Bengals’ offer locked him in for 5 additional years.”
So cash and the number of years come up big in the standoff, as expected. The franchise tag pays Bates $12.9 million, while he’d like to be closer to the $18 million per year at the very top of the safety market.
While the Bengals locking down Bates for five more years would be team friendly, he and his reps will smartly gamble on the open market in a year and see if they can get closer to that top-of-market number.
Bates has been adamant about not playing on the tag, but he’ll likely eventually sign and play out his final year in Cincinnati. The deadline to sign an extension is Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
A total of $4 million. Not $4 million per year. https://t.co/Mcgne13x7J
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2022
