The Philadelphia Eagles just executed a safety trade with the Atlanta Falcons. But Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton argued Tuesday the two teams could easily make another move involving a much-bigger named safety — Jessie Bates III.
On a list where he named one trade each NFL contender should consider, Moton encouraged the Eagles to inquire about Bates.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are sorely lacking in quality experience at safety. They lost Reed Blankenship in free agency and traded Sydney Brown to the Atlanta Falcons. Andrew Mukuba has started in 10 career games. Philadelphia re-signed Marcus Epps, who only played 33 percent of the defensive snaps last year,” wrote Moton.
“Last season, Mukuba made plays on the ball, recording three pass breakups and two interceptions, but he allowed a 113 passer rating in coverage.
“While edge-rusher stands out as another position of need, the Eagles don’t have a surefire starter at safety. They must add a reliable deep-cover defender before the draft.
“General manager Howie Roseman can attempt to make another deal with the Falcons for Jessie Bates III.
“At 29, Bates is still a premier coverage safety. He’s recorded at least three interceptions in four consecutive seasons. Last year, the eight-year veteran allowed a 73.7 passer rating.”
Bates has made second-team All-Pro three times in his eight-year NFL career. With the Falcons, he’s earned second-team All-Pro nomination twice in the past three years, including last season.
In 2025, he had 98 combined tackles with six pass defenses and three interceptions.
Why the Eagles Should Inquire About Safety Jessie Bates III
It would be pretty odd to see the Eagles and Falcons make another trade that involves a safety. The two teams just did that, with the Eagles sending Sydney Brown to Atlanta in a draft pick swap.
If Philadelphia was going to acquire Bates, the probably would have in the trade involving Brown.
Nevertheless, Bates coming to the Eagles makes sense. The veteran safety remains one of the best at his position. He’s also entering a contract season with a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade.
Over the past three seasons with the Falcons, Bates has averaged 110 combined tackles, nine pass defenses and four interceptions per campaign.
Bates started his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals as a second-round pick in 2018. During 2020, he made his first second-team All-Pro with 109 combined tackles and 15 pass defenses.
Will the Falcons Shop Bates?
From Philadelphia’s perspective, a Bates trade makes sense. But it’s worth wondering whether the Falcons would be on board.
National pundits don’t expect Atlanta to be a contender in 2026. But that doesn’t mean the Falcons are punting on the season. They play in the very winnable NFC South and ended 2025 on a four-game winning streak.
The Falcons, though, have a new general manager and head coach. Moton argued that could make Bates expendable ahead of his contract season.
“Nonetheless, in the final year of his contract, Bates has an inflated cap number of $24.8 million,” Moton wrote. “With a new regime in place, Atlanta may consider trading him for draft capital.
“If that’s the case, the Eagles can pounce on an opportunity to add a Pro Bowl-caliber defender to their secondary.”
The Falcons now have extra safety depth because of the Brown trade. In theory, that could mean a Bates deal is the next domino.
Still, it seems like a long shot Bates lands in Philadelphia. But it wouldn’t hurt the Eagles to inquire to see if he’s available.
Eagles Called to Consider Acquiring All-Pro Safety in Blockbuster Trade