The San Francisco 49ers just saw their NFC West rival, the Los Angeles Rams, make a major trade for Myles Garrett. Although the Niners don’t need to respond to that now, they must at some point look to bolster their team to challenge the Rams for the division title.
San Francisco can use their Week 1 matchup against Los Angeles as a measuring stick to see how even, close, or far away the two rivals are. Nonetheless, there are areas where the Niners can improve.
While the main focus will be on the pass rush, the safety positions also have question marks. As a result, could the 49ers make an in-season trade at some point to bolster one of those positions?
Now that Raheem Morris is the defensive coordinator, one potential name in the speculation conversation is Atlanta Falcons veteran Jessie Bates III, who has one year left on his contract. In a June 5 video on his YouTube channel, KNBR’s Larry Krueger gave his honest assessment of Bates potentially being a trade target at some point.
“A lot of people are circling in on Jessie Bates, who was a really smart player in college at Wake Forest, and he’s been a good player in the NFL with the Bengals and now in Atlanta,” Krueger said. “He’s a veteran ball hawk and a true free safety. He hasn’t missed a game in three years.
“Atlanta could save $4 million by trading him. He’s 29, and he would be that free safety who plays the deep middle and allows Malik Mustapha or his counterpart to play more in the box up near the line of scrimmage. He’s a true veteran ball hawk.”
Jessie Bates III Has One Major Issue for the Niners
Nonetheless, Krueger shared a major reason the Niners might pass on reuniting Morris and Bates in the Bay Area: The financial aspect.
“He also makes a lot of money, and there is a financial component to the whole thing,” Krueger added. “Atlanta also, he is their starting safety right now, so that factors in. But he is a good player, there is no question.
“That would be like ordering off the top shelf if you really wanted to make a significant addition with a proven player, not someone with talent you can coach up, but someone who has already proven he can play at a very high level… Jessie Bates would be a good option. He is going to cost you the most in terms of salary cap space.”
49ers Insider Floats Jessie Bates III as Potential Trade Target
Last season with the Falcons, Bates posted an overall PFF defensive grade of 64.5. He finished the season with three interceptions and added two pass breakups in coverage.
When targeted, opposing quarterbacks posted a 100.6 passer rating. Bates also played a steady role in run support, recording 70 solo tackles in open-field situations while missing just seven tackles.
Recently, the SF Standard’s David Lombardi floated that Bates would make sense as an in-season trade target.
“There’s perpetual chatter about the 49ers’ recent shortcomings at safety,” Lombardi wrote in a May 13 article. “But keep this in mind: Safety production is strongly correlated with a team’s pass rush, and the 49ers finished with a league-low 20 sacks in 2025. There’s a reason they’ve redone nearly all of their D-line over the past 14 months.
“Missed tackles have been an issue for safeties outside of Sigle (who, in turn, suffered through major issues in coverage), but they should see better opportunities to succeed in 2026. And perhaps an in-season trade for a former Morris safety might be in the cards. Jessie Bates III, anyone?”
49ers Receive Blunt Assessment of Falcons’ Jessie Bates III