If it's up to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, he'll give Jessie Bates the long-term contract he wants in a heartbeat.

With that said, the young star made it clear to the Bengals that he wants Bates back alongside him in Cincinnati. The All-Pro safety has been absent in the team's voluntary workouts as he looks to resolve his contract situation.

The Bengals used the franchise tag on Bates last March, but the 25-year-old has no intention to play with that deal. Now, he is on a stalemate with franchise and they only have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension.

Burrow, for his part, gave the ultimate endorsement to Bates during his talk with reporters on Tuesday.

“Jessie’s a big part of this team. You can put a price tag on what he does on the field, but I don't think you can on what he does in the locker room. He’s been a guy who has kind of built what we’re doing here. He was one of the first. Jessie’s exactly the kind of player I think you want to reward for the work he’s done the last four years, through the ups and the down. We weren’t very good for three years while he was here. He’s been through it all, so we’re hoping everything works out in his favor,” the Bengals QB shared, per Caleb Noe of WCPO.

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It remains to be seen what the Bengals will do with the issue at hand. Should they be able to work things out, though, Joe Burrow is not one bit worried about Jessie Bates' readiness to perform despite his latest holdout.

As the star QB revealed, Bates is “working really hard in the weight room” and will be ready to go whenever he gets what he desires from the team.

Hopefully the situation gets fixed soon. Clearly, Burrow holds Bates in a high regard, and that is something the organization should also take into consideration.