Ryan William Bates (born February 14, 1997) is an American football center for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Penn State.
 Bates with Penn State in 2018 | |||||
| No. 71 – Chicago Bears | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Center | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | February 14, 1997 Warminster, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 302 lb (137 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pennsylvania) | ||||
| College: | Penn State | ||||
| Undrafted: | 2019 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Roster status: | Active | ||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||
Early years
Bates attended Archbishop Wood Catholic High School in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania.[1]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 306 lb (139 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 5.09 s | 1.69 s | 2.88 s | 4.53 s | 7.45 s | 27.0 in (0.69 m) | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) | 28 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[2][3] | ||||||||||||
Philadelphia Eagles
Bates signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019.[4]
Buffalo Bills
On August 9, 2019, Bates was traded to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Eli Harold.[5]
Bates made his first career start in Week 16 of the 2021 season at right guard, and started the remainder of the season and through the playoffs at left guard.
On March 14, 2022, the Bills placed a restricted free agent tender on Bates. On March 24, 2022, the Chicago Bears signed Bates to an offer sheet, but Buffalo matched the offer.[6] On April 4, 2022, the Bills signed Bates to a four-year $17 million contract.[7][8]
Chicago Bears
On March 4, 2024, Bates was traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 fifth-round pick.[9]