John Bates

This week's coverage never puts John Bates at the center of a story, but there is Commanders news a Bates follower should track. Hogs Haven published the team's released Week 1 depth chart on September 8, which is the key item for establishing where Bates sits at tight end entering the season opener; no specifics of his placement were highlighted in the coverage itself. The rest of the week's reporting is team-level: a piece by Scott Bair framing Jayden Daniels and the pass rush as roster strengths, and a Future Hogs column looking at college players who could eventually help Washington. Nothing this week addresses Bates's targets, role, health, or snap count directly, so his Week 1 usage remains an open question going into the opener.