Bates is expected to serve as Washington's starting tight end Sunday against the Panthers with Ricky Seals-Jones (hip) ruled out for the contest and Logan Thomas (hamstring) still on injured reserve, Pete Hailey of NBC Sports Washington reports.
After Seals-Jones exited early in last week's upset win over the Buccaneers, Bates stepped in to play a career-high 63 percent of the Football Team's offensive snaps. Though he didn't fill a high-volume role in the passing game, the rookie made good on his limited opportunities, reeling in all three of his targets for 25 yards. Bates profiles as a low-end starter at tight end for deep-league lineups in Week 11.