Brenden Bates Bio
Brenden Bates (born October 17, 1999) is an American professional football tight end for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and entered the NFL in 2024 as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and listed at 256 pounds, Bates has built his professional reputation through perseverance across practice squads, practice squad promotions, and short stints with multiple franchises. His journey from a multi-sport high school athlete in Cincinnati to a tight end on an NFL active roster reflects a steady climb through the league’s developmental pathway.
Early Life and Background
Brenden Bates was born on October 17, 1999, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in a deeply athletic household: both of his parents, his two siblings, and his grandfather each played collegiate sports. That family background helped shape his early approach to competition and reinforced a multi-sport upbringing from a young age.
He attended Moeller High School in Cincinnati, where he played football, basketball, and competed in track and field. In football, he earned recognition as a two-time first-team All-Greater Catholic League selection and capped his senior season with 17 receptions for 305 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Bates was selected for the national team at the International Bowl and was rated as a four-star recruit and one of the top tight ends in his national recruiting class. In addition to his pass-catching skills, he was regarded as a top blocker, once telling the Lexington Herald-Leader that he takes pride in blocking and loves moving people against their will. He ultimately committed to play college football for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Path to American Football
Bates’s path to professional football began with a redshirt freshman season at Kentucky in 2018, when he appeared in two games. The following year, he worked into 13 games on the special teams unit, learning the speed and structure of the Southeastern Conference.
He played in only six games in 2020 due to injury, but that season produced his first career collegiate reception. By 2021, he had become a starter in six games and totaled 11 catches for 70 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown. Those performances confirmed his developmental trajectory and set the stage for additional responsibility in his later college years.
Across his Kentucky career, Bates recorded 26 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns while starting 25 of the 58 games in which he appeared. Following his final collegiate season, he was invited to the 2024 Hula Bowl all-star game, an opportunity that helped him generate interest from NFL teams despite going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brenden Bates Career
Early Career (2024)
On May 9, 2024, after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brenden Bates signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. He impressed during the preseason, catching six passes for 100 yards and demonstrating the blocking reliability and route-running polish that had defined his scouting profile.
Despite that preseason production, Bates was waived by the Bears on August 27 as part of final roster cuts. The following day, August 28, he was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets, giving him an immediate second opportunity to extend his rookie year.
New York Jets Stint (2024)
Bates joined the New York Jets at the start of the 2024 regular season as part of the team’s claim off waivers. His time on the active roster was brief, as he was released on October 17, 2024, before being re-signed to the Jets’ practice squad two days later.
The practice squad role allowed him to continue developing within an NFL system while remaining a quick call-up away from the active roster. That visibility would prove decisive when another franchise needed tight end help later in the season.
Cleveland Browns (2024–2025)
On December 18, 2024, Brenden Bates was signed off the Jets’ practice squad to the Cleveland Browns’ active roster after running back Nick Chubb was placed on injured reserve. The promotion gave Bates his first regular-season roster spot of his NFL career.
In 2025, he was named to the Browns’ initial 53-man roster on August 26, only to be waived the following day and then re-signed to the practice squad on August 28. On September 17, 2025, the Houston Texans signed Bates off the Cleveland practice squad.
With Houston, Bates made three appearances and recorded two receptions for 23 yards before being waived on October 25, 2025. On October 27, 2025, he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns, returning him to the franchise that had originally given him an active-roster opportunity.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brenden Bates’s professional identity is rooted in the traits that defined his college scouting report. He is regarded as a willing and effective in-line blocker, a skill he has repeatedly emphasized as a point of personal pride. He pairs that physicality with reliable hands as a pass catcher, particularly on short and intermediate routes that leverage his 6-foot-5 frame.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Brenden Bates’s career include his preseason debut with the Chicago Bears in 2024, his first NFL active-roster promotion with the Cleveland Browns in December 2024, and his first regular-season receptions as a member of the Houston Texans in 2025. His repeated transitions between active rosters and practice squads illustrate a journeyman arc that is increasingly common among undrafted tight ends who find long-term NFL footing.
Brenden Bates Career Wins
Brenden Bates’s professional statistical ledger is still developing, with his verified regular-season production consisting of two receptions for 23 yards across three appearances with the Houston Texans in 2025. His verified preseason production includes six receptions for 100 yards with the Chicago Bears in 2024.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his NFL statistics, Bates earned recognition as a two-time first-team All-Greater Catholic League selection at Moeller High School and was a participant in the International Bowl as a senior. He was also invited to the 2024 Hula Bowl all-star game following his Kentucky career, underscoring his standing among the top undrafted tight ends in his draft class.
Brenden Bates Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Brenden Bates comes from a strongly athletic family. Both of his parents, his two siblings, and his grandfather each played collegiate sports, providing him with a deep well of sporting experience and guidance from an early age.
Personal Life
Brenden Bates was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his athletic family roots remain a central part of his identity. Public information about his current residence and personal relationships is limited.
2025 Season Performance
Brenden Bates’s 2025 season has been defined by movement between rosters and practice squads across multiple franchises. He began the year on the Cleveland Browns’ initial 53-man roster before being waived and re-signed to the practice squad, then signed by the Houston Texans off that practice squad in mid-September.
With Houston, he made three appearances and recorded two receptions for 23 yards, providing his first verified regular-season NFL receiving production. After being waived by the Texans on October 25, 2025, he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns two days later, returning to the franchise where he first reached an active roster in 2024.
As the season continues, Bates’s pathway back to the Browns offers an opportunity to earn a longer-term role within the team’s tight end rotation. His combination of blocking willingness and reliable hands gives him a clear positional identity, and his experience navigating practice squad promotions positions him well to compete for sustained active-roster snaps.