Brenden Bates (born October 17, 1999) is an American professional football tight end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
| No. 84 – New York Jets | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 17, 1999 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) |
| College: | Kentucky (2018–2023) |
| Undrafted: | 2024 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editBates was born on October 17, 1999, in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1][2] Both his parents, his two siblings, and his grandfather each played collegiate sports.[2] He attended Moeller High School in Cincinnati where he played football, basketball, and competed in track and field.[2] In football, he was twice named first-team All-Greater Catholic League and had 17 receptions for 305 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.[2]
Bates was selected for the national team at the International Bowl.[2] He was ranked a four-star recruit and one of the top tight ends nationally.[3] In addition to his pass catching abilities, he was also considered a top blocker; he told the Lexington Herald-Leader that "I take pride in blocking. I just love moving people against their will."[4] He committed to play college football for the Kentucky Wildcats.[5]
College career
editAs a true freshman at Kentucky in 2018, Bates redshirted, appearing in two games.[6] The following season, he appeared in 13 games on the special teams unit.[7] He played in only six games in 2020 due to injury, making his first career catch that year.[7] In 2021, he was a starter in six games and totaled 11 catches for 70 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown.[7] He recorded 10 receptions for 99 yards and one touchdown during the 2022 season.[8] He returned for a final season in 2023, as all players were given an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] In his final year, he caught four passes for 89 yards.[10] He finished his collegiate career having recorded 26 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns, while having started 25 of the 58 games in which he appeared.[2] He was invited to the 2024 Hula Bowl all-star game.[11]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+3⁄8 in (1.94 m) |
246 lb (112 kg) |
33 in (0.84 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
4.68 s | 1.70 s | 2.82 s | 4.47 s | 7.10 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) |
10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) |
21 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[12] | ||||||||||||
Chicago Bears
editAfter going unselected in the 2024 NFL draft, Bates signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent.[10] He was a standout performer in preseason, catching six passes for 100 yards.[13] He was waived on August 27, as part of the roster cuts.[14]
New York Jets
editOne day after being waived by the Bears, Bates was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets.[15] He was released on October 17, and re-signed to the practice squad two days later.[16][17]
References
edit- ^ "Brenden Bates". Fox Sports.
- ^ a b c d e f "Brenden Bates". Kentucky Wildcats. December 19, 2017.
- ^ Hale, Jon (March 10, 2017). "UK lands Cincinnati prep TE Brenden Bates for 2018 class". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ Roberts, Ben (September 10, 2017). "Top UK football commitment Brenden Bates loves 'moving people against their will'". Lexington Herald-Leader.
- ^ Howard, Lee K. (March 10, 2017). "UK football gets commitment from four-star tight end Brenden Bates". WKYT-TV.
- ^ Gershon, Aaron (January 5, 2023). "Brenden Bates announces return for sixth season at UK". 247Sports.
- ^ a b c Shelton, Hunter (January 5, 2023). "Tight End Brenden Bates Returning for Sixth Season at Kentucky". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Brown, Kyle (August 5, 2023). "Former Moeller stars Brenden Bates and Josh Kattus ask the hard questions at UK media day". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
- ^ Rowland, Justin (January 5, 2023). "Brenden Bates opts for another year at UK". Rivals.com.
- ^ a b Fisher, Chris (April 28, 2024). "Three Wildcats sign NFL deals as undrafted free agents". 247Sports.
- ^ "Three Wildcats To Play Saturday in Hula Bowl". Kentucky Wildcats. January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Brenden Bates College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
- ^ Sugrue, Brendan (August 28, 2024). "Bears do not claim anyone off waivers, lose TE Brenden Bates to the Jets". USA Today.
- ^ Mayer, Larry (August 27, 2024). "Roster Moves: Bears reach 53-man roster limit". ChicagoBears.com.
- ^ Greenberg, Ethan (August 28, 2024). "Jets Claim TE Brenden Bates, Waive WR Jason Brownlee". New York Jets.
- ^ Naughton, Glenn. "Jets cut Ties With TE Brenden Bates; Firkser up Next?". Jet Nation. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
- ^ Greenberg, Ethan. "Jets Sign TE Anthony Firkser". newyorkjets.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.