Bengals star safety Jessie Bates discussed his future in Cincinnati on Wednesday during an interview with NFL Network.
The 24-year-old "absolutely" wants to stay with the Bengals, but admits he doesn't want to play on the franchise tag.
“We will see. Hopefully I am not under a franchise tag. You just gotta play your cards right," Bates said. "Hopefully I will still be a part of that in Cincinnati. There is a lot of good things to come, whether I am there or not."
Bates finished with 88 tackles, four passes defensed and one interception in 16 games this season. He caught fire in the postseason, compiling 20 tackles, six passes defensed and two interceptions.
The Bengals were unable to sign him to a long-term deal prior to the 2021 season. Contract talks broke off during training camp.
He's set to become a free agent next month, but the Bengals will likely place the franchise tag on him before the March 8 deadline.
That would put Bates in position to make $12.91 million in 2022. He'd be scheduled to become a free agent in 2023.
In a perfect world, the two sides would agree to a long-term extension, but that could be difficult, especially since the Bengals have the franchise tag in their back pocket.
“I’m not too worried about being the highest paid safety," Bates said. "But I do know value over cost and I think that is something that we are going to continue to evaluate.”
If the Bengals do tag Bates, they would still be able to negotiate a long-term extension with him this summer, prior to training camp.
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