The 2021 season for the Cincinnati Tigers was undoubtedly a success, as they made it all the way to Super Bowl 56 and nearly succeeded. While quarterback Joe Burrow and rookie receiver Jamal Chase are the team's brightest stars, it's also their main security guard Jesse Bates on the defensive end; embarrassingly, Bates' contract expires this offseason, which undoubtedly puts him in suspense with the Tigers' future.
Of course, the Tigers also have a very stable way to keep Bates, that is, to label him as privileged. From the beginning of this week until March 9, Beijing time, every team has the opportunity to label a player who wants to stay on a privilege tag, and if the Tigers label Bates, they will pay a salary of $13.5 million, but considering that security guards are extremely cost-effective under the privilege label, the Tigers are likely to do so. But Bates didn't want the team to label himself.
"I think my agent and my team will communicate this with the team." Bates said in an interview, "I trust them so much, I just want to focus on controlling what I can control, I hope I don't get labeled privileged by the team." Players' unions should actually take this seriously, because once some top players are injured while playing with privilege tags, the following offseason can be very tough. ”
Bates' concerns are justified, last season Jets security guard Marcus Meyer and Pirates external receiver Chris Godwin were reimbursed for the Achilles tendon tear and the torn front cruciate ligament, especially Godwin may not be able to recover until the regular season in the new season. That leaves their market uncertain this offseason. While the privilege tag may be paid more, it's only after years of stable contracts that players like Bates are more popular.
Bates, 24, was drafted by the Tigers in the second round of 2018, so his rookie contract has just been executed this season, and the media predicts that he can get a contract with an average salary of $14.4 million, ranking among the top 5 security guards. The Tigers have the fourth-most salary space in the league in the offseason, and they have enough capital to sign Bates, depending on whether they are willing to do so.
(Aibao)