Commanders TE John Bates: Recovering From Calf Injury?

Bates was drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Washington Commanders tight end group has been in flux during training camp.

The group has yet to stay fully healthy, but once the players get back to full strength, they will play a key role in the offense.

While incumbent starter Logan Thomas and fifth-round rookie Cole Turner hold most of the pass-catching duties, second-year pro John Bates will look to be the team's primary blocker amongst the tight ends.

Bates has been dealing with a calf injury, but is slowly making his return to the field.

"We’re gonna ramp John up a little bit," head coach Ron Rivera said. "He was limited in his teamwork and he was limited in his individuals, but it was good to have him back out there. Now we're gonna just slowly transition him back out there and have him increase his load every day.”

During his rookie season, Bates appeared in all 17 games and started eight games where Thomas was injured. Despite not being known as a pass-catcher, Bates performed a pretty good impression of one. He held the fort down with 20 catches for 249 yards and one touchdown.

With the drafting of Turner, Bates has more support in that department and his role is expected to change to more of a blocker. That's huge for a team looking to run the football more.

By drafting Brian Robinson Jr. in the third round, the team is signaling towards wanting to run the football more, and that's where players like Bates can shine.