Atlanta sends the Pro Bowler to Jacksonville for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder.
The Falcons kicked off trade deadline week by moving on from Jessie Bates III, sending the veteran safety to the Jaguars in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. The deal comes more than 24 hours before the NFL trade deadline closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 10.
Bates is in the final season of the four-year contract worth $64 that he signed with Atlanta in March 2023, and was set to be a sought-after name in free agency had he reached the open market. The 29-year-old is a three-time second-team All-Pro and spent four seasons with the Falcons after five with the Cincinnati Bengals.
For Jacksonville, the move bolsters a defense that already ranks among the league's best and helps offset last week's loss of defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton for the rest of the season. The Jaguars currently have the best point differential in the NFL and sit atop the AFC South.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski pushed back on the idea that trading Bates signals Atlanta is giving up on 2026, insisting the team is not punting on the season.