Share Video
Bates finished his 2021 rookie campaign with 20 catches for 249 yards and a touchdown on 25 targets, starting eight of 17 games.
The fourth-round pick never missed a game, but it wasn't until Week 10 that he saw more than 17 snaps or one target in a contest. From that point on, he played over half of Washington's snaps in each game, averaging 2.0 catches for 26.4 yards on 2.6 targets over the final nine games of the season. Bates may fall back to a reserve role in his second year, however, as Logan Thomas' season-ending ACL injury was a big factor in the rookie taking so many snaps. That could leave Bates as Washington's No. 1 TE for the offseason program, if nothing else, depending on the team's transactions this spring. Plus, the timing and severity of Thomas' injury mean he's no lock to be ready for Week 1 of 2022.
