Jessie Bates may have made Falcons reconsider letting him go in loss to Ravens

Entering the season, it was common knowledge that the Atlanta Falcons had the NFL's best safety duo, but early on this season, neither player got off to a hot start, which is in large part because the Falcons have struggled to generate takeaways--and that's an area where both of them excel.

It seemed as though Xavier Watts was hit with a sophomore slump, while Jessie Bates III started to show some signs of regression compared to his best years in Atlanta, though he's still a quality starting safety. But in the Falcons' 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens, both safeties looked like their 2025 selves, especially Bates.

Early in the first quarter, Sydney Brown forced a fumble on Mark Andrews, and Bates was the first player to realize the ball was out, and he was able to recover and return it 36 yards for a scoop-and-score to give Atlanta their first defensive touchdown since his pick-six against the Rams last year.

It's plays like that that help us confirm he isn't as truly cooked as we believe, but it also proves exactly what value he offers this Falcons defense. According to ESPN research, he's the only NFL player to score a defensive touchdown in each of the last four seasons, and is tied with then-Denver Broncos CB Aqib Talib (who did so from 2014-2017) for the longest streak for any such player.

And this is a important development. Jessie Bates is currently in the final season of the four-year, $64 million contract he signed with Atlanta during the 2023 offseason, and has become one of the most vital pieces of this defense both on and off the field, which makes extending him more important--and this was certainly a good audition for his hopes of receiving another payday.

Jessie Bates III might be in the Atlanta Falcons' long-term plans after all

Spotrac doesn't think Bates' market value hasn't changed much from his last contract, as they project he'll sign a deal around three years and $50 million in free agency--which would come in at $16.7 million annually, which seems like it'll be a fair deal for a guy who will be turning 30 in February.

And given the Wake Forest product has been a captain all four seasons he's been in Atlanta and seems to love it here, I can see him being the type of guy to take a minor pay cut to stay home. He's a fan favorite and is one of the best leaders on the team, so keeping him long-term would be imperative, especially since money is no issue.

But of course, extension talks (if they've even gotten off the ground) have yet to go anywhere, so it's worth monitoring if the Falcons would consider trading the three-time All-Pro before the Nov. 10 deadline--especially if Atlanta struggles through their tough stretch of games before the bye week if they are sitting at like 4-6 or 3-7. Teams like the Bengals, who drafted Bates, or Raheem Morris' 49ers could be interested.

And while it's a possibility, the Dirty Birds would be foolish to let him walk out the door. Would the comp pick they'll receive really be worth it? Elite safety play isn't an easy thing to find now, especially one with elite ball skills and range who is able to elevate the secondary--especially his other safety.

It would be easy for the Falcons to cut bait (no pun intended) with Jessie Bates III and pass the baton to Xavier Watts as the new face of the secondary, but seeing him run back another turnover against the Ravens is proof of what they'd be missing out on if they don't extend him.

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