Falcon Report

Falcons DB Jessie Bates III Reveals Role in Atlanta Defense

Jessie Bates III was one of the league's biggest free agents before the Atlanta Falcons signed him off the market. What's his role expected to be for the Falcons?

Jeremy Brener

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The Atlanta Falcons are making Jessie Bates III one of the league's richest safeties after signing him to a four-year, $64 million deal earlier this week.

The price was steep, but the Falcons believe the investment is worth it because of who Bates is on and off the field.

After five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and reaching the Super Bowl and AFC Championship for the past two years, Bates has a ton of experience in the biggest games in the world, something he hopes will establish him as a leader.

"I think that my role is going to be a leader," Bates said. "Someone that has experience, postseason, has experienced the bad, the good - I've had a little bit of at all. Just five years into it at 26 years old, I have a lot of wisdom and stuff to talk about to the guys in the locker room."

Bates is still young, and some may say hasn't even entered the prime of his career. But part of what makes Bates special is his ability to play multiple positions, something that may come up this season and beyond for the Falcons.

"I think that I'm very versatile," Bates said. "I've been in different situations - I haven't just played post safety my whole life; I've been in those different situations. So, being able to talk about my experiences, talk about what I've seen, so once you're able to mark down what you've seen, it's just the player I am. Being able to gain the trust of the players and the coaches every single day I step foot in the locker room, so very excited."

It's a new opportunity for Bates in Atlanta. In Cincinnati, he came in as a second-round pick looking to be part of the team. Now, he's being asked to lead the Falcons.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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