Jessie Bates has been a consistent presence at safety for the Cincinnati Bengals since 2018. He started all 74 games he's played in and never logged less than 95% of the Bengals' defensive snaps.

2021 was a contract year for Bates. He responded with a good campaign that saw him log 88 tackles, four passes defended, and an interception. However, nothing long-term between Bates and the Bengals has materialized, and Pro Football Focus thinks it could lead to Bates playing elsewhere next season.

Brad Spielberger on Bates:

"It appears far more likely Bates will reach unrestricted free agency this time around after Cincinnati placed the franchise tag on him last offseason and never made a serious multi-year offer. 

"While his 71.1 PFF grade through Week 10 is only 27th-best at the position, his 80.9 run-defense grade is a top-10 mark. Bates is also on track to play his fifth 900-plus-snap season in five years as an NFL player, pairing his above-average skill set with remarkable reliability. He ranks behind only Kevin Byard in regular-season snaps played among safeties since 2018."

That's the head-scratcher when it comes to this situation. Of course, contract negotiations take time and a plethora of details have to be ironed out before a pen hits the paper. While understandable, the tag was placed on Bates nine months ago, and the fact that nothing has even been brought to the table, for the most part, is strange.

Bates made his frustration known during the offseason. He wasn't present when the Bengals had OTAs and also missed most of training camp after contracts talks hit a standstill. Couple that with going through long-term negotiations that came up short in 2021, Bates has had a challenging two seasons as he looks to be paid like one of the top safeties in the NFL, which he is.

The Bengals invested heavily in their offensive line during the offseason, and it's been paying off the last few weeks as they have only allowed three sacks over the last two games (gave up 32 in the first nine games). That's great and all, but Bates is one of the best players at his position, and the sitting-on-the-hands approach by the Bengals may lead to a split soon.

Feature image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports