John Bates News: Logs one catch in Week 15 win

Bates caught his lone target for 19 yards during the Commanders' 29-21 win over the Giants on Sunday.

Bates hauled in a 19-yard pass from Marcus Mariota early in the second quarter, but the fifth-year tight end wasn't targeted again for the rest of the game. Bates was named the starter for Sunday's NFC East clash one week after Zach Ertz sustained a season-ending torn ACL, though the former will likely operate in a timeshare with Ben Sinnott for the rest of 2025. Next up for Bates and the Commanders is a Week 16 home tilt against the Eagles on Saturday.