$11.52m fully guaranteed means that Bates isn’t going anywhere soon
John Bates was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the 4th round of the 2021 draft and he has played a key role in Washington’s offense and special teams for the past four years. Bates has been active for 67 career games (only 1 game missed in 4 seasons), with at least 500 offensive snaps per season (2,045 total). He has played special teams each season, and last year played 225 ST snaps (48%).
This year, Bates was one of 28 players set to become an unrestricted free agent, but Adam Peters kept that from happening by signing the tight end to a 3-year contract extension.
Two weeks ago, teammate Zach Ertz described John Bates this way:
“He’s the most dominant blocking tight end I’ve ever seen and studied in my career. Not many guys can do what he does. I knew he’d have an opportunity to make a lot of money. I’m glad it’s in Washington.”
Let’s look at the money that Bates will earn from his new deal with the Commanders. Contract details via Over the Cap.
Tweets about TE John Bates contract last week billed it as a 3-year, $21m deal.
It is, but the Commanders are actually committed to much less. With no guaranteed money in the final year of the contract, this looks a lot like a 2-year contract worth $12.5m, with an optional 3rd year valued at $8.5m.
While the Commanders will be able to save $8.5m in cap space by trading or releasing Bates before Year 3, the guarantees in this contract are very strong. Bates has a total of $11.52m in guaranteed money comprised of a $7m signing bonus and fully guaranteed ‘25 and ‘26 base salaries of $1.51m and $3.01m. This contract shows strong commitment to, and belief in, Bates by the Commanders front office.
Bates’ cash flows on this contract will be very uneven:
- $9m in 2025
- $3.5m in 2026
- $8.5m in 2027
The Commanders can cut or trade Bates after 2026 having paid him $12.5m — an average of $6.25m per year for two years of play — but if he continues to contribute to the team’s success, he has a very good chance of playing to the end of this contract or beyond (via extension).