TE Brenden Bates Receives Clearance

Players who are let go in that manner become free to sign with a new team after an agreed-upon period of time. Returning to full health allows for a free agent deal to become possible. In Bates’ case, a new opportunity could arrive soon. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports the third-year tight end has received medical clearance and is weighing offers.

A deal for the 2026 season could be worked out relatively soon as a result. Bates, 26, entered the league as an undrafted free agent, and he has seen time with the Jets and Texans so far. To close out both the 2024 and ’25 campaigns, Bates also played for the Browns. In all, he has totaled 16 appearances and three starts.

The Kentucky product saw sparse usage on offense with New York and Houston while chipping in on special teams. During his time in Cleveland, by contrast, Bates was a part-time offensive contributor. He logged a 36% snap share last season, so teams in need of depth at the TE spot could show interest in this case. Those looking for help in the run game in particular could look to Bates as a depth option based on his blocking.

Several teams are dealing with tight end injuries at the moment. The Chargers, for instance, have just one healthy player at that spot for the time being. It will be interesting to see if they emerge as a suitor for Bates over the coming days. In any case, a clean bill of health could lead to a deal being lined up in short order.