John
Bates
TE
#87
John Bates
Washington CommandersHeight : 6' 6" · Weight : 256 lbs · Age : 28
NFL record
| Year | Team | GP | REC | TGTS | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | FD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Washington Commanders | 3 | 3 | 4 | 22 | 7.3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 2025 | Washington Commanders | 15 | 11 | 16 | 103 | 9.4 | 1 | 22 | 6 |
| 2024 | Washington Commanders | 17 | 8 | 13 | 84 | 10.5 | 0 | 20 | 3 |
| 2023 | Washington Commanders | 17 | 19 | 28 | 151 | 7.9 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| 2022 | Washington Commanders | 16 | 14 | 22 | 108 | 7.7 | 1 | 20 | 4 |
| 2021 | Washington | 17 | 20 | 25 | 249 | 12.4 | 1 | 32 | 11 |
Contract
Washington Commanders payroll →- 2026 cap number
- 5.79 M$
- Average per year
- 7.00 M$
- Total value
- 21.0 M$
- Seasons left
- 2 · through 2027
2026
5.79 M$
Guaranteed
2027
10.83 M$
Not guaranteed
Cap number: the season's salary plus the share of the signing bonus spread over the contract. Total value and average per year cover the whole contract, from its signing.
Advanced stats, 2026 Tight ends (receiving)
NFL stats →2026 season, in progress (3 games played). The percentile ranks the player among regular tight ends (receiving): 90th means better than 90% of them.
EPA per target
−0.18
21th percentile
Target share
6.9 %
18th percentile
Separation
—
Drops
—
Targets
4
8th percentile
Receptions
3
14th percentile
Catch rate
75.0 %
65th percentile
Receiving yards
22
18th percentile
Yards after catch
22
21th percentile
Receiving TDs
0
24th percentile
Regular season. Data: nflverse (play-by-play, snap counts), Next Gen Stats, Pro Football Reference. EPA: expected points added. CPOE: completion percentage over expected.
2026 end-of-season projection
NFL trends →Projected WAR
0.1
Games
17
WAR 2026
0.0
Games played
3
WAR already earned, plus his pace (WAR per game over the last three seasons, 60/25/15, pulled toward the group average) over his team's remaining games, given his availability so far.
Trend
→ Stable (-1)
- 20230.0 WAR · 0.000 per game
- 20240.0 WAR · 0.000 per game
- 20250.1 WAR · 0.007 per game
- 20260.0 WAR · 0.000 per game
The trend compares this season's WAR per game with last season's, weighted by games played.
Outlook, age included
-1 · 28 y.o. · prime years
It is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes.
Player ratings, 2026
All ratings →Ratings from 0 to 100, computed over four seasons from data, never by hand, against regulars in the same position group. 75 = established regular, 87 = 90th percentile, 95+ = elite.
OV · Overall
50
Backup or prospect
- REC
- Receiving
- 68
- SEP
- Separation
- —
- ELU
- Elusiveness
- 78
- HND
- Hands
- 50
- DUR
- Durability
- 73
- EX
- Experience
- 65
Why these ratings?Hide details
- REC — Receiving : Expected points added and yards per target
- SEP — Separation : Separation from the defender at the throw (Next Gen Stats)
- ELU — Elusiveness : Yards over expected, after contact or catch, broken tackles
- HND — Hands : Drops avoided, catches per target
- DUR — Durability : Games played out of his team's, over several seasons
- EX — Experience : Seasons in the NFL
WAR and PAL Rating, 2026
How we rate →WAR: the EPA (expected points added) of every play, above replacement level, shared among those who made it, then converted to wins (35.3 points = one win). PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against regulars in the same group (50 = median).
PAL: dimensions
Where WAR comes from (in wins)
25% of the EPA of passes thrown his way (the QB and line get the rest), above replacement.
| Season | Team | G | WAR | PAL | OV | Rec | Rec yds | TD | EPA/tgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | WAS | 3 | 0.0 | 27 | 50 | 3 | 22 | 0 | −0.18 |
| 2025 | WAS | 15 | 0.1 | 37 | 64 | 11 | 103 | 1 | +0.49 |
| 2024 | WAS | 17 | 0.0 | 11 | 67 | 8 | 84 | 0 | −0.05 |
| 2023 | WAS | 17 | 0.0 | 1 | 58 | 19 | 151 | 0 | −0.20 |
| 2022 | WAS | 16 | 0.0 | 7 | 74 | 14 | 108 | 1 | −0.13 |
| 2021 | WAS | 17 | 0.1 | 85 | 96 | 20 | 249 | 1 | +0.63 |
John Bates in five questions
What are John Bates's stats in 2026?
John Bates has 3 catches for 22 yards and 0 touchdowns in 3 games in 2026.
How old and how tall is John Bates?
John Bates is 28 years old. He is 6'6" (198 cm) and weighs 256 lb (116 kg).
How good is John Bates?
John Bates produced 0.0 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2026 (season in progress). His PAL rating is 27 out of 100: below average for his position.
What number does John Bates wear, and what team does he play for?
John Bates plays for Washington Commanders in the NFL, at TE, and wears number 87.
What is John Bates's projection for 2026?
Our projection has him at 0.1 WAR over the full 2026 season, based on his weighted recent seasons and age.
