One of the best safeties in the NFL is heading to a contender.
The Atlanta Falcons have traded star defensive back Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, the teams announced Monday.
Bates is in the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, forcing the Falcons to cash in on his talents now before he hits the open market.
In nine games this year, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native has one interception, three forced fumbles, 60 combined tackles, and has returned one fumble for a touchdown.
Bates had a season-high 14 tackles in the Falcons' 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Madrid. The Falcons have lost four of their last five games under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski, leaving them on a path to their ninth consecutive losing season.
Despite his talents, the Falcons have coasted to a 3-6 record and sit last in the NFC South. Bates will now get to ply his trade in the opposite situation, joining a 6-2 Jaguars team sitting atop the AFC South.
The 29-year-old has blossomed into one of the top safeties in the NFL in recent years, earning his third second-team All-Pro nod last season after picking off three passes and notching 98 combined tackles.
In nine seasons, including five with the Cincinnati Bengals — who drafted him 54th overall in 2018 — Bates has 28 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles.
-- with files from the Associated Press
