Bengals Made a Mistake Letting Jessie Bates Leave. Could They Fix It?

The Cincinnati Bengals have been discussed as a team that could make a major trade this season. As teams see the writing on the wall and realize they may no longer be threats to a Super Bowl run, or even a playoff run, they often offload better players on expiring contracts for draft capital. 

Names like Jonathan Taylor, Budda Baker, and Sauce Gardner have been floated around the league, with Taylor and Baker seemingly good trade fits for the Bengals. 

However, another safety could soon end up on the trade block: Jessie Bates of the Atlanta Falcons. Bates spent the first five years of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals as a key piece in their run to the 2021 Super Bowl, the last year Cincinnati had a respectable defense before this season. 

The Bengals ultimately let Bates walk and signed safety Nick Scott, a decision that didn’t age well as Cincinnati’s defense struggled and Bates thrived in Atlanta with the Falcons. Safeties like Geno Stone and Vonn Bell manned the back end of Cincinnati’s defense and left much to be desired, failing to live up to what Bates was doing in Atlanta. 

Now, a reunion is possible, as Cincinnati could look to beef up its secondary at the trade deadline or earlier. I recently wrote that if the Bengals are considering a trade for a running back or a safety, they should focus on safety. Given how their offense is currently constructed, adding a running back upgrade has a pretty low ceiling, while adding a weapon at safety next to Bryan Cook could make a major difference on defense. 

Jordan Battle has had his ups and downs this season, struggling with tackling against Jacksonville and then grabbing two interceptions the next week against the Dolphins. A guy like Bates could come in for a late-day two-pick or an early-day three-pick and provide consistency in Cincinnati’s defensive backfield. 

Bates will be a free agent after this season, so he'd be a rental. He turns 30 just under two weeks after the Super Bowl and still has plenty of gas in the tank, likely signing a lucrative contract this offseason with a contender. He has fiveseasons with 100+ tackles, two with the Bengals early in his career, and 13 interceptions since 2023, including six in his first year with the Falcons. 

If the Bengals want to upgrade at safety, Bates should be high on their list.