Falcons trade All-Pro safety Jessie Bates to Jaguars for draft picks

The Atlanta Falcons traded All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, ending his three-and-a-half-season stint in Atlanta. Bates appeared in all 60 of the Falcons’ regular-season games and earned second-team All-Pro honors twice; he is in the final year of his contract and shared a farewell message after the trade. He joins a Jaguars team leading the AFC South and seeking a deeper playoff run, as Jacksonville looks to strengthen its defense. The trade has fueled discussion that Atlanta is prioritizing a longer-term rebuild over an immediate playoff push. Separately, the Jaguars have been linked to Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore as a potential target, but no such deal has been reported.