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Determined to come back from an ankle injury that sidelined him for all of last season, five-time Pro Bowl selection Michael Bates has signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers, ESPN.com has learned.
Bates, a veteran special teams standout, will earn a base salary of $655,000 and a $25,000 workout bonus. Because of a rule that provides a cap break for teams that sign longtime veterans to minimum-salary contracts, Bates will count only $475,000 against the Panthers' 2003 spending limit.
One of the most celebrated special teams players in recent league history, Bates broke an ankle in a preseason game against Dallas in 2002 and was placed on injured reserve for the entire season. He had surgery and is fully rehabilitated, leaving Panthers coaches optimistic that he can enhance their special teams units....more
Bates, a veteran special teams standout, will earn a base salary of $655,000 and a $25,000 workout bonus. Because of a rule that provides a cap break for teams that sign longtime veterans to minimum-salary contracts, Bates will count only $475,000 against the Panthers' 2003 spending limit.
One of the most celebrated special teams players in recent league history, Bates broke an ankle in a preseason game against Dallas in 2002 and was placed on injured reserve for the entire season. He had surgery and is fully rehabilitated, leaving Panthers coaches optimistic that he can enhance their special teams units....more
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