The Cincinnati Bengals are in a tough spot with a key player right now, but there's an easy solution to their problem that they need to quickly explore.

Safety Jessie Bates has been wanting a new contract for over a year. But instead of getting a new deal this summer, Bates will be playing on the franchise tag in 2022.

Maybe.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the two sides didn't even close to working out a deal. The Bengals aren't interested in giving Bates the type of guaranteed money he wants.

For the #Bengals and star S Jessie Bates: The team's final offer guaranteed Bates only $4M more than what he would get if he eventually signs the franchise tag. Big difference is the tag locks Bates in for one year while the Bengals' offer locked him in for 5 additional years.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 15, 2022

That might frustrate some fans, but it's a smart move on Cincinnati's part. They have several big contracts on the horizon (Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, etc) and they'll need cash to hand for any guaranteed money in those contracts. The Bengals are essentially prioritizing those players over Bates.

Bengals beat reporter Kelsey Conway indicated on Friday that Bates hasn't signed his franchise tag yet and he has no intentions of signing it anytime soon. That means Bates can hold out of training camp without facing any fines.

The #Bengals and Jessie Bates failed to reach a long-term extension by the deadline.

A source close to the situation tells me Jessie has not signed the franchise tag & has no intention to do so.

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) July 15, 2022

At this point, the Bengals have to be concerned about whether or not Bates will play in 2022. Logic says he will — he can't afford to miss out on a $12.9 million payday. But Cincinnati has to at least prepare for a scenario where Bates doesn't play.

Additionally, how do the Bengals feel about Bates skipping a significant portion of training camp and still playing in 2022? Would it be a major distraction? Will Bates play at the same level with all that missed time?

Cincinnati can erase those questions if they go ahead and do what they're going to eventually do anyway — trade Bates.

It's obvious that Bates' long-term future isn't in Cincy. Even if he eventually plays on the tag, the Bengals are going to go through this same scenario again next offseason. Bates is a valuable asset and Cincinnati will want some compensation for him instead of just letting him walk. If he plays on the tag this year, the Bengals will tag him again next offseason, and then furiously attempt to trade him.

They might as well make the move now while they have a little bit of leverage.

Cincinnati could trade him to a team outside of their division — maybe the New York Jets or the Indianapolis Colts — receive a couple of draft picks and then proceed with rookie Daxton Hill as the starter in Bates' place.

The Bengals have a way to put this whole saga behind them. And right now, I think this would absolutely be the best move for the franchise — especially since it would give them some control over where Bates lands (in other words, outside of the AFC North).

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