The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding a Pro Bowl safety for the stretch run. The Atlanta Falcons are trading Jessie Bates III to the Jaguars for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal came together on Monday, one day before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
What Jacksonville Is Getting
Bates, 29, has 60 tackles and three forced fumbles through nine games this season, according to Yahoo Sports. He made the Pro Bowl after the 2023 season and has been a second-team All-Pro three times (2020, 2023 and 2025).
He signed a four-year, $64 million contract with Atlanta in March 2023 after five seasons in Cincinnati, which drafted him in the second round in 2018 out of Wake Forest.
Why the Jaguars Did It
Jacksonville is 6-2 and leads the AFC South. Its defense has allowed the second-fewest points per game in the league, according to Yahoo Sports, and Bates gives that unit an experienced playmaker at the back end for a playoff push.
Why the Falcons Did It
Atlanta is 3-6 and in last place in the NFC South after a 34-17 loss to Bates’ old team, the Bengals, in Madrid on Sunday. Trading a veteran on a big contract for a second-round pick points toward the future.
My Take
This is the kind of move a contender makes. Jacksonville already has one of the best defenses in the league, and adding a safety with Bates’ track record for a second-round pick makes the Jaguars tougher to score on in January. For Atlanta, it is a sign that the focus has shifted to next season.
This is the ninth trade of the season. Every deal before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT deadline is in my NFL trade deadline tracker.
Featured photo: Jessie Bates III with the Atlanta Falcons by the Atlanta Falcons, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Leave a Reply