John Bates (born November 6, 1997) is an American professional football tight end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by Washington in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft.
Bates was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the fourth round (124th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021. Due to injuries to Logan Thomas and Ricky Seals-Jones, Bates had his first career start in the Week 11 win over the Carolina Panthers. In a December 26, 2021, game against the Dallas Cowboys, Bates scored his first NFL touchdown which he fumbled but later recovered in the endzone.
On March 11, 2025, Bates signed a three-year, $21,000,000 contract extension with the Commanders. Bates has been referred to as one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. In the Week 18 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he scored his third career touchdown from a two-yard pass from quarterback Josh Johnson.