John Bates Washington Commanders · #87
John Bates is a Tight End for the Washington Commanders, drafted 124th overall, 2021. In 2026 he caught 3 passes for 22 yards and 0 touchdowns.
John Bates — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades are percentiles vs every active player at his position.
Where John Bates stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
John Bates — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees John Bates
Projection = recency-weighted per-season production, nudged along a position aging curve, banded by his year-to-year volatility. No black box — every number shows its work.
John Bates career stats, season by season
| Season | G | Rec | Yds | TD | Tgt | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 | 20 | 249 | 1 | 25 | 12.4 |
| 2022 | 16 | 14 | 108 | 1 | 22 | 7.7 |
| 2023 | 17 | 19 | 151 | 0 | 28 | 7.9 |
| 2024 | 17 | 8 | 84 | 0 | 13 | 10.5 |
| 2025 | 15 | 11 | 103 | 1 | 16 | 9.4 |
| 2026 in progress · 2 games | 2 | 3 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 7.3 |
| Career | 84 | 75 | 717 | 3 | 108 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Washington Commanders built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of John Bates
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
John Bates is a Tight End for the Washington Commanders, in his 6th NFL season.
Turning pro
Drafted 124th overall, 2021 as a Tight End.
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John Bates is a Washington Commanders tight end, drafted 124th overall, 2021.
Chapter
Across 6 seasons (2021–2026) he has caught 75 passes for 717 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Chapter
Most recently he caught 3 passes for 22 yards and 0 touchdowns in 2026.
Off the field
- Height
- 6' 6"
- Weight
- 256 lbs
- Draft
- 124th overall, 2021
- Born
- Lebanon, OR
- Age
- 29
- Jersey
- #87
John Bates is from Lebanon, OR and is 29 years old. He was drafted 124th overall, 2021 and plays tight end at 6' 6", 256 lbs.
Over 6 seasons (2021–2026) he has caught 75 passes for 717 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bates is currently on the Washington Commanders roster.
John Bates is a rotational tight end who has caught 75 passes for 717 yards and 3 touchdowns across 6 seasons (2021–2026).
John Bates — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about John Bates, answered.
