Jaguars' Newly-Acquired S Bates Already Excited to Get to Work

With the NFL trade window closing on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 4:00 p.m., many analysts had called for the Jacksonville Jaguars to make a move and go all-in on a Super Bowl push.

On Monday morning, General Manager James Gladstone and the Jacksonville front office made their big acquisition, trading for three-time All Pro safety Jessie Bates III from the Atlanta Falcons.

"Jessie has been a proven playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the last 6+ seasons," Gladstone said in a press release following the move. "His skillset compliments our style of play and the person he is aligns with our culture. We look forward to integrating Jessie into our team as we prepare for the back half of the season."

In exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder, the Jaguars will add one of the top back-end players in the NFL, and a guy who has already expressed excitement to be with the franchise.

On Monday morning, following the breaking news, Bates took to X, writing "WOKE UP A JAGUAR!" before adding a big "DUUUVAL" and a Jaguars emoji.

With the Falcons falling to 3-6 with a loss on Sunday, the chances of Bates becoming more-available rose.

Despite being rumored as a trade target heading into the matchup, Bates still played his normal number of snaps, and had by-far his best game as a tackles this season.

With 14 total tackles, Bates was the lone Falcon with double-digit takedowns, and likely showed the Jaguars all they need to see with his play.

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Bates has become a trusted commodity at the safety position.

After five standout seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, and one All-Pro nod, Bates signed a hefty, four-year extension worth $64 million with Atlanta, earning two additional All Pro honors in the NFC South.

He remained one of the most-versatile and impactful defensive players in the league following the move, recording 14 interceptions (4th in NFL), 11 forced fumbles (most by any DB, 6th overall), four defensive TDs (T-2nd in NFL) and 378 tackles.

He is the only player with double-digit forced fumbles and interceptions in that time.

For Jacksonville, adding a player with this level of rapport and experience in the defensive backfield fills a big need, allowing Bates to anchor a young secondary.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Bates is currently grading in at 84.1, which is the fourth-highest grade among all safeties.

This addition makes the ultra-aggressive Jaguars defense even that much more dangerous, while giving defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile a movable piece in the backend.

Bates is not under contract past this season, but finding success with Jacksonville would likely draw him towards staying with the team for the future.

Expect Bates to be ready to go for Jacksonville's next matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 10.