Very raw and honest stuff from Jessie Bates today. Says he wasn't in the right headspace the first part of the season and the bye really helped him reset. Knows he has to play better to help the team get where they want to be

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 15, 2021

"My mind was on other things in the first (several) weeks... spoke to people, nobody is feeling sorry for you. I know that (contract) stuff is going to work out. I've got to be better for this team." Lots of introspection from Bates to @Ben_Baby "Be the normal Jessie Bates"

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 15, 2021

"Just a step away, haven't made the plays I have in the past. Watching (other teams) their main players are making plays for them. I haven't done that. I'll be excited to make more plays." Jessie Bates III #Bengals

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 15, 2021

(11-15-2021, 04:33 PM)pally Wrote:

Very raw and honest stuff from Jessie Bates today. Says he wasn't in the right headspace the first part of the season and the bye really helped him reset. Knows he has to play better to help the team get where they want to be

— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) November 15, 2021

 

"My mind was on other things in the first (several) weeks... spoke to people, nobody is feeling sorry for you. I know that (contract) stuff is going to work out. I've got to be better for this team." Lots of introspection from Bates to @Ben_Baby "Be the normal Jessie Bates"

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 15, 2021

"Just a step away, haven't made the plays I have in the past. Watching (other teams) their main players are making plays for them. I haven't done that. I'll be excited to make more plays." Jessie Bates III #Bengals

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 15, 2021

Good stuff, Pally.

Bates is still one of the most revered players in that locker room by his teammates.  I have a feeling he has a big second half ahead of him, and they are going to need it.  

Wow this team is in the thick of things
In the AFC and yet he cant focus and do
His job. He is counted on.to be a anchor of
This team and he cant deliever.
Imagine what his head would be like if this team
Was 1and 8 now.
He would be probally be Rey Maualuga 2.0
Hitting mailboxes and such

(11-15-2021, 04:58 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Wow this team  is in the thick of things
In the AFC and yet he cant focus and do
His job. He is counted on.to be a anchor of
This team and he cant deliever.
Imagine what his head would be like if this team
Was 1and 8 now.
He would be probally be Rey Maualuga 2.0
Hitting mailboxes and such

players are human.  Sometimes it takes a quick step back to properly analyze things.  Hopefully he has figured it out and we will see positive results in the 2nd half of the seasons

Hmm maybe not worth paying the guy, he’s a bit of a diva and hasn’t lived up to his status this year.

Nah, they really need to pay him, but cmon Jessie why even put this out there.

Sounds like he's playing not to get hurt in a contract year, which is the wrong reason to be out there.

(11-15-2021, 05:03 PM)GreenCornBengal Wrote: Hmm maybe not worth paying the guy, he’s a bit of a diva and hasn’t lived up to his status this year.

Nah, they really need to pay him, but cmon Jessie why even put this out there.

Wait and see how the second half plays out. If the team falls out of playoff contention and his play is still solid then sign him. If he keeps playing like he has lately no matter what the playoff picture looks like, don't sign him. I'm not saying he's bad but I believe he's overrated.

I'd much rather a guy introspect and try to find his own faults in things, whether publicly or not, than just deflect blame. We'll see if the bye really made a difference, but I am encouraged that Jessie has been giving it thought and *wants* to be better.

(11-15-2021, 05:01 PM)pally Wrote: players are human.  Sometimes it takes a quick step back to properly analyze things.  Hopefully he has figured it out and we will see positive results in the 2nd half of the seasons

I agree Pally, but cmon. You make alot of $$$$$
And your set for life. Your team is relevant
Again in the NFL. What could possibly be going 
Not right for him. These pro athletes kill me 
At times. Some of them need to go to a homeless 
Shelter or the hospitals that have cancer patients
Hanging on for dear life. A dose of reality for them

If only the professional athletes were boulders of mental stability and perfect military discipline like the members of this forum.

(11-15-2021, 04:58 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Wow this team  is in the thick of things
In the AFC and yet he cant focus and do
His job. He is counted on.to be a anchor of
This team and he cant deliever.
Imagine what his head would be like if this team
Was 1and 8 now.
He would be probally be Rey Maualuga 2.0
Hitting mailboxes and such

(11-15-2021, 05:16 PM)impactplaya Wrote: I agree Pally, but cmon. You make alot of $$$$$
And your set for life. Your team is relevant
Again in the NFL. What could possibly be going 
Not right for him. These pro athletes kill me 
At times. Some of them need to go to a homeless 
Shelter or the hospitals that have cancer patients
Hanging on for dear life. A dose of reality for them

Dude is one bad injury from losing a life changing amount of money. Anybody in his situation would be thinking the same thing. 

(11-15-2021, 05:10 PM)Goalpost Wrote: Sounds like he's playing not to get hurt in a contract year, which is the wrong reason to be out there.

You would think he would want to look as good as possible while playing for a contract.  I don't know of anyway to play football to "avoid injury".  All he is accomplishing is "avoiding millions of dollars".

I loved his play last year, but I am starting to question his psyche.  Sure am glad we didn't make him one of the top paid safeties in the league.

(11-15-2021, 05:29 PM)J24 Wrote: Dude is one bad injury from losing a life changing amount of money. Anybody in his situation would be thinking the same thing. 

Has has already made $5 million.  Seems like that would be "life changing" enough.

Only a small minority of NFL players get a contract extension before coming to their free agent season.  Bates should not be letting his team down because he did not get one.

Bates = Money > Winning, apparently?

You'd think being on a team with a shot at a winning record for the first time in his career would be enough to keep his head in the game. 10 weeks into the season is an awful long time to not focus on what you need to be focusing on and letting it significantly affect your play.

Not saying he has to play for the love of the game, but he already has millions, and he was all but guaranteed at least another $13.5m from a franchise tag as a bare minimum if he played decently.

(11-15-2021, 05:36 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You would think he would want to look as good as possible while playing for a contract.  I don't know of anyway to play football to "avoid injury".  All he is accomplishing is "avoiding millions of dollars".

I loved his play last year, but I am starting to question his psyche.  Sure am glad we didn't make him one of the top paid safeties in the league.

How is he avoiding injury? The guy is second on the team in Solo tackles and first in Solo Tackles per a game. 

(11-15-2021, 05:39 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Has has already made $5 million.  Seems like that would be "life changing" enough.

Only a small minority of NFL players get a contract extension before coming to their free agent season.  Bates should not be letting his team down because he did not get one.

He is looking at 30 + million in guaranteed money. Which is 5 times the amount he has now.

(11-15-2021, 05:48 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Bates = Money > Winning, apparently?

You'd think being on a team with a shot at a winning record for the first time in his career would be enough to keep his head in the game. 10 weeks into the season is an awful long time to not focus on what you need to be focusing on and letting it significantly affect your play.

Not saying he has to play for the love of the game, but he already has millions, and he was all but guaranteed at least another $13.5m from a franchise tag as a bare minimum if he played decently.

There's no guarantee the Bengals franchise tag Bates.
They've never paid a safety $8+ mill a year.

Also, Bates has "only" accumulated $6.8 mill in his career. While that sounds like a lot, we don't know how much he's already spent and we don't know his investments, so we don't know if he'd have enough to comfortably live on for the rest of his life.

Few things are more asinine than when people who aren't millionaires (or generally even close) try to make inferences about how multi-millionaires should behave with respect to monetary prospects. There is just zero perspective.

These players have their own lives and those of their extended families, offspring, and descendants to consider. I am sure that can become a significant distraction. That doesn't have to mean players are being tentative on the field to avoid injury or something, but it might mean they're less focused on preparation and execution that they'd otherwise be. Who knows. Bates clearly believes he hasn't been where he needs to be, he has said as much himself, and he will try his best to get back on course. I am not sure what else there is to ask of the guy right now.

Pay the man my ass...

If he was mad because he felt like the Bengals did not give him enough credit you would think that would put a chip on his shoulder and make him play BETTER

(11-15-2021, 06:03 PM)J24 Wrote: He is looking at 30 + million in guaranteed money. Which is 5 times the amount he has now.

When he got the $5 million contract that was probably THOUSANDS of times more than he had before.

The big "life change" has already happened.