ATLANTA — The Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to acquire three-time All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons on Monday in exchange for a pair of future draft picks, according to multiple reports.
Jacksonville will send a 2027 second-round selection and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Atlanta, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the transaction had not been officially announced by the clubs. Reports also indicated the Falcons will pay most of Bates’ remaining salary to facilitate the swap ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Bates confirmed the move on social media Monday, writing on his X account, “WOKE UP A JAGUAR!” and adding, “ATL Forever Grateful!”
Reinforcing a depleted secondary
The trade gives Jacksonville an elite playmaker at a moment when injuries have tested the back end of its defense. Starting safety Eric Murray suffered a season-ending elbow injury, backup Caleb Ransaw was placed on injured reserve, and Antonio Johnson has battled nagging ailments.
The Jaguars (6-2) sit in contention for the top playoff seed in the AFC following five victories across their past six contests, including a 33-10 rout of the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. Jacksonville leads the NFL with a plus-9 turnover margin, an edge that Bates figures to sharpen.
Over nine games this season, the 29-year-old safety has tallied 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, an interception, and a 36-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Bates racked up a career-best 14 tackles on Sunday during Atlanta’s 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid. Across nine NFL campaigns — five in Cincinnati and nearly two in Atlanta — Bates has compiled 28 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles.
“What they’ve done is added an All-Pro player to an already championship caliber football team,” Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh said Monday, according to the AP. “Last week I made the comment that Cincinnati was the best team we’ve played all year? Well, Jacksonville’s one-upping it.”
Falcons pivot toward future assets
For Atlanta, the deal provides valuable draft capital during a rocky campaign. Under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski, the Falcons have dropped four of their past five games to fall to 3-6, even though they entered the week only a half-game behind the division lead in the NFC South.
Bates is playing in the final season of the four-year contract he signed with Atlanta in 2023 and was slated to reach unrestricted free agency in the spring. By moving Bates now, front office leaders Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham secured future picks while freeing up defensive snaps for young defensive backs Sydney Brown, Xavier Watts and DeMarcco Hellams.
Whether Bates will make his Jaguars debut on the road against the Titans this Sunday remains unclear as he begins integrating into coordinator schemes under head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone.
