The San Francisco 49ers have Raheem Morris as their defensive coordinator. As a result, could the Niners find a way to reunite him with a former player of his on the Atlanta Falcons?
San Francisco’s safety position has several question marks heading into the 2026 NFL season, and 49ers beat reporter David Lombardi of the SF Standard recently floated that Jessie Bates III could be a player the Niners could target in the middle of the season, leading up to the trade deadline.
Bates would make sense for the 49ers, given his experience playing for Morris and knows his defensive system. However, Aaron Schatz of ESPN is urging the Falcons to extend Bates before training camp and the preseason get underway.
“Yes, the Falcons had an improved pass rush in 2025, but safety play was also a big reason Atlanta jumped to 12th in defensive DVOA,” Schatz wrote in a June 18 article. “Bates was a second-team All-Pro with 98 combined tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
“He will be 30 years old in 2027 and should still have a couple of good seasons left. Bates has said that he wants to finish his career with the Falcons, but the team has not started extension talks with him yet.”
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.
Bay Area Radio Host on Jessie Bates III Speculation
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.”
49ers Insider Floats Jessie Bates III as Possible Target
The Bates speculation began with Lombardi, who explained why the veteran safety makes sense as a potential trade deadline 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?”
Falcons Land Strong Jessie Bates III Take Amid 49ers Speculation