Bengals use franchise tag on Jessie Bates

UPDATE

It’s official. The Cincinnati Bengals have announced safety Jessie Bates is designated to be this year’s franchise tag player.

Now, we have comments from the team on the decision to tag Bates in hopes of a long-term deal getting ironed out soon.

“Jessie has been an important part of this organization both on the field and in the locker room,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor in a press release. “I’m excited about the opportunity for Jessie to be with us again this year as we continue to improve our team.”

“Jessie has been an outstanding player here for four years,” said Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn in a press release. “Over the past year, we’ve tried to extend his…