BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills will keep offensive linemen Ike Boettger and Ryan Bates, with the team signing Boettger to a one-year contract extension and matching the Chicago Bears offer sheet on Bates, a restricted free agent.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed at Monday's owner's meetings in West Palm Beach, Fla. that they will match the offer sheet on Bates and he will compete for a starting job.
The 25-year-old guard was undrafted out of Penn State and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before he was traded to the Bills ahead of the 2019 season for linebacker Eli Harold.
Bates made his first start last season in Week 16 at right guard and was able to move around the offensive line throughout the season.
The new deal will be for four seasons, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Boettger has been extended for another season after the 27-year-old started in a career-high 10 games in 2021, while playing in 15 games before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 16 landed him on the injured reserve list.
He signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Iowa in 2018 before he was briefly claimed off of waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs then returned to the Bills a little over a week later.
