Jul 28, 2021; Cincinnati, OH, United States; Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates III (30) runs drills during training camp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals have been critically panned for not extending star safety Jessie Bates’ contract up until this point. They could just be waiting for a more financially advantageous moment. Maybe?
Right now, the Bengals are $7,396,493 over the cap according to spotrac.com. With that said, they will have an estimated $16,973,507 in cap space once the final roster is set.
The Bengals could be currently operating as if their cap hit is at the $-7,396,493 mark.