‘Forever Love’: Jessie Bates bids goodbye to Cincinnati, teammates

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - Safety Jessie Bates III bid farewell to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday with a heartfelt tweet thanking the franchise, his teammates, and the city.

Bates spent five seasons with the Bengals before signing a massive contract with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

Over the years, the man Cincinnati drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft grew into a fan favorite.

He thanked the Bengals on Twitter for helping make his NFL dreams come true when they selected him with the No. 54 pick in the draft.

Bates also wrote about the moments and bonds that he created in Cincinnati.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on March 13 the details of Bates’ new contract, which will make him the league’s fourth highest-paid safety in history.

The Bengals’ offer to star safety would have paid him $17 million in year one, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway.

Atlanta’s offer to Bates will pay him $23 million in the first year, Schefter reported.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 WXIX. All rights reserved.