CINCINNATI (AP) — After Cincinnati's fifth straight win on Sunday, quarterback Joe Burrow and coach Zac Taylor couldn't stop raving about the Bengals defense.
And rightly so. The unit has been overshadowed all season by the do-anything-to-win heroics of Burrow and his offense.
Bengals safety Jessie Bates said playing under the franchise tag this season will give him a chance to show NFL teams — including his current one — what he is worth.
The 25-year old Bates reported to training camp on Tuesday and signed a one-year contract for $12.9 million after staying away amid the contract dispute.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Safety Jessie Bates III reported to Cincinnati Bengals training camp Tuesday and signed a one-year tender under the franchise tag.
The four-year veteran was frustrated with efforts to reach a long-term contract agreement with the Bengals.
31, 63. CINCINNATI BENGALS (13-8)
LAST SEASON: Bengals coach Zac Taylor entered his third year under considerable pressure to show results — and he did. With a (generally) healthy quarterback Joe Burrow returning from a devastating knee injury that prematurely ended his rookie season in 2021, and eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati wasn't quite a juggernaut.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals on Monday placed the franchise tag on safety Jessie Bates III, keeping him with the team for the 2022 season.
The Bengals had tried unsuccessfully to come to terms on a long-term contract for the 25-year-old Bates, whose rookie deal expired at the end of the season, putting him on the verge of becoming a free agent.
CINCINNATI (AP) — For the first time in years, the Cincinnati Bengals are positioned to make some noise in December.
The Bengals (7-4), with offensive playmakers and a defense that coalesced in back-to-back blowout wins, find themselves in the thick of a wide-open AFC playoff race.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates III had a message for reporters waiting outside the locker room after the Bengals' biggest win in years.
"If you’re not believing now, you’d better start,” Bates said after the Bengals (5-2) rolled over the Baltimore Ravens 41-17 on Sunday for their best start since 2015.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon didn't practice Wednesday and is day to day with an ankle sprain.
Coach Zac Taylor said he wanted to see Mixon at full speed on Thursday before he can make a judgment about his fitness for Cincinnati's (3-1) game against the Green Bay Packers (3-1) on Sunday.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals will be without receiver Tee Higgins and safety Jessie Bates for their Thursday night matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And the team likely will be missing cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (groin) and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo (knee).