Evaluating Chances of 49ers Landing All-Pro Safety in Trade

Most people think the San Francisco 49ers will make another trade deadline move in addition to DeForest Buckner. An interesting name to keep an eye on is Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates, according to Bill Barnwell of ESPN.

San Francisco 49ers Could Trade For Atlanta Falcons Safety Jessie Bates

Barnwell notes that Bates is a big swing who could put the team over the top, and he is familiar with the 49ers coaching staff.

“Finding one player who might be able to swing a playoff game with a big play could be a logical target for Lynch,” wrote Barnwell. “Jessie Bates III is a free agent after the season, and the 29-year-old safety has at least three interceptions in seven of his eight completed campaigns as a pro. He just made one of the plays of the season last week against the Buccaneers, forcing a Bucky Irving fumble on an impromptu speed option for a touchback. Bates is also familiar with Raheem Morris' defense, having played under the 49ers' defensive coordinator in Atlanta during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”

Bates made the second-team All-Pro last year with the Falcons under the coaching of Morris.

The two issues with the analysis are the 49ers depth at safety and the Falcons staying in the NFC South hunt.

For the 49ers side, while they have Malik Mustapha, Marques Sigle, and Ji’Ayir Brown, none is at the level that Bates is. Brown is likely to leave in free agency after this year, and the team does not have plans to extend the other two, either.

They could even include one of them in a trade with the Falcons. If they traded Mustapha or Sigle, it would give them a safety with more than this year of team control. They would get a younger, cheaper safety who is signed longer than Bates. That would make the trade more worthwhile.

That would also make them more likely to accept a trade. The Falcons are 3-5, but they are also right in the thick of a weak NFC South. The Panthers are 3-4, the Bucs are 3-5, and the Saints are 2-5. So, the Falcons are not quite in a mode of packing it in and tossing away players.

Getting a safety back eases some of that concern, but unless they lose again in Week 9 and things break against them in Week 9, they might not be sellers. This could be a dream addition, but not a realistic one.

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