The NFL trade deadline can be both exciting and depressing for fans around the league. Waking up to your favorite team landing a superstar can feel like Christmas morning. On the flip side, when a team trades away an elite player, it can feel more like the holiday season was cancelled.
The Atlanta Falcons shipped Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday morning for two draft picks. The Jaguars traded a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder for the play-making safety.
Bates has been a steady force on the back end of Atlanta's defense for the last three-plus seasons, and his presence will certainly be missed.
However, the Falcons dropped to 3-6 after their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9, and with
Bates entering the final year of his contract, the move made sense for general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan.
The 29-year-old did not receive an extension over the offseason and likely wasn't in the team's long-term plans. The Falcons extended running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, left guard Matthew Bergeron and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, but Bates was left without a deal.
Based on his three-plus years of elite production, you could make the case that Bates was the most deserving of this bunch for an extension. Since the Falcons aren't close to contending, though, Bates was more valuable to a contending Jaguars team than he was to Atlanta.
Some fans were sad to see Bates go, while others felt the the Falcons' front office did a good job of getting value for the Pro Bowl safety. Let's see how those around the NFL reacted to Monday's trade.
NFL world reacts to Jessie Bates trade
Trade: Falcons are sending former Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2027 2nd-round pick and a 2028 5th-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/zsvYXRXj0P
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 9, 2026
This is a massive price for a contract year player.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 9, 2026
Big move by the Jaguars. GREAT return for the Falcons. https://t.co/ChRJ645Fya
Amongst the game’s best still in terms of ball skills, instincts and limiting explosive plays. An excellent communicator and leader too. A huge add for the Jaguars. https://t.co/GIG7rvNtx7
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 9, 2026
ATL Forever Grateful! 🖤 #JustBelieve
— Jessie Bates III (@jlbiii3) November 9, 2026
JESSIE BATES TRADE GRADES 🚨@LegerDouzable and @advancereport give it a B+.#amhq pic.twitter.com/AcGJ10Kaym
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 9, 2026
Words cannot express how mad I am right now pic.twitter.com/QcheRXuwBn
— Atlanta Falcons Australia 🇦🇺🦘 (@ATLFalconsAus) November 9, 2026
Thank you for everything Jessie! I’m so thankful for your time in Atlanta. You will be missed! Go get yourself a ring! pic.twitter.com/95qOFtoRiK
— Carrie (@Carrie_ATL) November 9, 2026
https://t.co/cKznJoLa9N pic.twitter.com/GDfkY9Qny8
— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) November 9, 2026
3-6 team 0.5 a game out of first is selling but the 0-8 Chargers refuse to take callspic.twitter.com/HCZSViz3c1 https://t.co/m4AAcwE5hW
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) November 9, 2026
Man, I love Jessie Bates. Happy to see him go to the AFC, though. https://t.co/V2oQcb6kNK
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) November 9, 2026
Jessie Bates still hasn’t had a bye this season and is now joining a Jaguars team that already had theirs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 9, 2026
If Bates suits up right away, there’s a scenario where he plays 18 games this season. pic.twitter.com/Eymur1jHmI
It's not punting on the season for the #Falcons, but if you can give up 34 WITH Jessie Bates in the lineup, you can certainly do it without him. https://t.co/LhNKtQpbto
— Mark Zinno (@MarkZinno) November 9, 2026
There's going to be 36 hours of “Bills should have done that” tweets. https://t.co/5wwoS4udZx
— Greg Vorse (@GregVorse) November 9, 2026
Jessie Bates is T-1st among Safeties in WAR (Wins above Replacement) via @PFF. pic.twitter.com/C6fEWMGfnj
— Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis) November 9, 2026
The Falcons got a second- and fifth-rounder for Jessie Bates? @steakshapiro, @DrewButler, and Mike @MPJohnson79 marvel over the return Ian Cunningham was able to bring in. pic.twitter.com/3BfLLMC4do
— 92.9 The Game (@929TheGame) November 9, 2026
Jessie Bates is in the final year of his contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 9, 2026
Atlanta extended Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Matthew Bergeron this offseason, but not Bates. Now, he’s been traded. https://t.co/xKhiIbKhbX
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFL world reacts to Falcons trading Jessie Bates to Jaguars
