Jessie Bates Reveals Surprising Injury He Played Through in Week 2

Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates didn't have much of an impact in his team's 20-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Fast forward to Wednesday when it was revealed that the veteran defender's underwhelming performance could be attributed to a surprising injury he played through.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo told reporters that Bates dislocated a finger against the Cowboys, according to team insider Ben Baby. Anarumo added that the 25-year-old "popped the damn thing back in" and didn't miss a snap, showcasing his toughness.

Jessie Bates Injury News

Anarumo said that Bates' toughness is an example of the bond between Cincinnati's defenders. The Bengals DC is convinced that there's no way that Bates would've fought through the injury for any other group in the NFL.

"That's how much togetherness and brotherhood these guys have for each other. [Bates] is not doing that if it is another group. I have seen that before. It is a credit to him."

- Lou Anarumo on Jessie Bates' Injury

Bates finished the game with three solo tackles while playing 98% of his team's defensive snaps. A former second-team All-Pro safety, Bates hasn't had much of an impact this year, allowing three catches on the only three targets he's seen for 33 yards and a touchdown.

It'll be interesting to see how the rest of the Fort Wayne, IN native's season plays out. Bates has been looking for a record-breaking contract since the offseason began, so he'll need to have a strong campaign to get his targeted amount.

At the end of the day, the Bengals are lucky to have a defender as tough as Bates. He's more than talented enough to turn things around, so we'll see if his dislocated finger hampers him when Cincinnati visits the New York Jets on Sunday.

Bengals vs Jets Week 3

Fortunately, things look promising for Bates and the Bengals. They're currently listed as the 5.5-point road favorites over the Jets on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.