As if the injury bug didn't strike the Atlanta Falcons enough this week, the cycle continued in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins. The embarrassing 34-10 defeat saw star safety Jessie Bates III add to the laundry list of injured Falcons after he left and didn't return due to an ankle injury.
When the Pro Bowler went down, the hearts of Falcons fans everywhere dropped, as the banged-up defense could not afford any more loss. Thankfully, Raheem Morris told the media on Monday afternoon that Bates' injury isn't serious, and will be day-to-day entering Week 9.
Raheem Morris says he knows Jessie Bates III doesn't have a serious ankle injury. He's day to day, along with Penix, London and Harrison. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 27, 2025
The Dirty Birds are set to travel to New England to face the red-hot Patriots in Week 9, and that's no small task. The Pats have won five straight and Drake Maye is playing out of his mind right now, so Atlanta will need all hands on deck against a potent Josh McDaniels offense on Sunday afternoon.
Jessie Bates avoided a major injury, but is no lock to play in Week 9
Since signing with the Falcons during the 2023 offseason, Bates has been one of the most consistent defenders in the NFL. The Wake Forest product has surpassed 100 combined tackles in both of his seasons in Atlanta,, and is on pace to do the same again in 2025.
Losing their tackle leader would be the worst case scenario for Jeff Ulbrich's defense. Star linebacker Divine Deablo was just placed on IR and rookies Jalon Walker and Billy Bowman Jr. have missed each of the last two games, so losing Bates would be a disaster.
And he's not just important on the field. He's been a captain for three straight seasons, and his leadershp has helped ignite a much-improved defense—especially in helping mentor the youngsters.
Should he miss time, DeMarcco Hellams and Jordan Fuller will see more snaps, and Bates' absence would more than likely have an adverse effect on third-round rookie Xavier Watts—who has dazzled through the first seven games of his career.
Morris was cautious in Week 8, keeping both Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London out of the lineup to remain precautionary. While that decision crashed and burned, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Bates miss the bout with the Patriots in order to prepare him for a trip to Berlin against the surging Colts in Week 10.
In addition to updating people on the status of the 2018 second-round pick, Morris said that Penix, London, and Zach Harrison would all be day-to-day entering Sunday. Since they all practiced, they're expected to play, but we'll have to wait a day for futher clarity on JB3.