The Jacksonville Jaguars acquired Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons on Monday, Nov. 9, for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, a day before the NFL trade deadline.
The deal is pending a physical, and Atlanta restructured Bates' contract before the trade, the Jaguars said. The Falcons are paying most of his salary, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, according to NFL.com.
"Jessie has been a proven playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the last 8+ seasons," Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said.
Why the Jaguars made the move
Jacksonville placed starting safety Eric Murray on injured reserve with a season-ending elbow injury. Its defense ranks in the top five against the run but 22nd against the pass, NFL.com said. Bates, 29, has 28 career interceptions and 14 forced fumbles and has started all 139 games he has played. This season he has one interception, three forced fumbles and a fumble-return touchdown; his interception came against Brock Purdy in Atlanta's Oct. 25 game against the 49ers.
For Atlanta
The 3-6 Falcons, coming off a loss to Cincinnati in Madrid, now have four top-100 picks in 2027. Bates was in the final year of his contract. The deadline is 1 p.m. PT Tuesday. Related: 49ers reacquire DeForest Buckner.