'Best Safety in Football!' Falcons DB Jessie Bates 'Could Be in DPOY Conversation'
Before they were Atlanta Falcons teammates, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and safety Jessie Bates III played against each other seven times.
Campbell held a slight edge over Bates, winning four games - but took a bigger lesson from those contests.
"When you're just out there competing and you're at your best and he's at his best, you recognize, 'That guy is a stud. He's different,'" Campbell said.
The Falcons agreed, giving Bates a four-year, $64 million contract this offseason, marking the fourth-largest deal for a safety in NFL history.
Atlanta was confident Bates would deliver, as his track record with the Cincinnati Bengals - a two-time team captain who made at least three interceptions in four of his five seasons - spoke for itself.
All the while, Bates had a spokesperson in the Falcons' organization - secondary coach Steve Jackson, who held the same role with the Bengals in 2020 and 2021.
And so, with Bates' impressive on- and off-field resume, Atlanta was comfortable making a considerable investment on a position not often viewed as premium.
"There's always risk in every move you make, (but) we were very confident," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. "We had a lot of carryover; Steve Jackson - Steve is one of the best, most honest people I've ever worked with. I’ve been with some people that have kind of pumped people up.
"And then the scouting that goes into it, and it really is about fit, chemistry, what you want to do schematically. If you don't have a plan for that, then you're not going to give them the best chance to be successful."
The Falcons, from Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot to Jackson and defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, felt confident in the plan they devised, allowing Bates to thrive as a playmaking single-high safety.
And as his first season in Atlanta nears an end, Bates has proven to be worth every penny.
The 26-year-old Bates, classified by Smith as a mid-tier veteran who's still young but has extensive experience from six seasons in the league, was named a team captain this summer, the only newcomer to earn the honor.
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) runs after intercepting a pass against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Bates led the charge on Atlanta's defensive backs meeting on Tuesdays, when some coaches aren't even in the building. He's elevated the standard in the secondary off the field while producing better results on it.
Through 15 games, Bates has a career-high six interceptions, which puts him in a tie for second league-wide this season and among all Falcons in the 21st century.
Better yet, Bates has made big plays in big moments, forcing three turnovers in a tone-setting Week 1 victory, generating two more in a post-bye week win over the New Orleans Saints and effectively ending the Indianapolis Colts' hopes with a fourth quarter interception in Sunday's 29-10 Falcons victory.
Atlanta as a team has eight interceptions. Bates has six of them. The Falcons have 24 forced fumbles and interceptions. Bates is responsible for nine of them.
When asked how to continue creating takeaways, Falcons safety Richie Grant kept things simple.
"Shit, have Jessie Bates on your team," Grant said.
Bates has been dubbed one of Atlanta's hardest workers by quarterback Desmond Ridder and is highly respected inside the locker room for the energy and production he brings each week.
The Falcons expected greatness ... but this much?
Not even Campbell saw it coming.
"Being able to join forces with him and be on his team, I knew he was going to be special, but having the year he's having, I didn't think it was going to be this special," Campbell said. "I can't sit here and say I did, because wow."
How special?
Campbell believes Bates is worthy of being in the race for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, which hasn't been won by a safety since Troy Polamalu in 2010.
Check any odds list and it's unlikely Bates will be among those mentioned - but it doesn't matter.
Per Campbell, Bates' impact on Atlanta's team, let alone defense, has been tremendous ... and vaults him to the top of the list among safeties league wide.
"Honestly, he could be in the DPOY conversation," Campbell said. "It's so hard for a safety to win it, but what he means to this team, the plays he's made to put us in ball games to win, he's definitely the Most Valuable Player in my opinion. He's definitely All-Pro.
"He's the best safety in football right now. His leadership, the way he carries himself, I'm honored to be his teammate."
Bates has started every game this season, playing all but six total defensive snaps.
He's Atlanta's leading tackler with 117, second-most among safeties and already setting a new career-high. In addition to interceptions, forced fumbles and tackles, he leads the Falcons in passes defended (11) and has scored their lone defensive touchdown.
In a season that's been a rollercoaster, as offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron described after the bye week, Bates has been a steady presence - all the while delivering on the lofty expectations set out for him at the start.
"Very happy for him," Smith said. "Jessie has come in here, and he's a terrific football player, clearly, and a great teammate and just very fortunate we were able to get him."
Bates has added a pair of NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards to his trophy case this season, serving as referendums for his season-long brilliance.
But part of what makes the Fort Wayne, Indiana, native special is his character - and in typical fashion, he was quick to deflect praise after another strong performance in Sunday's win.
For instance, Bates pointed to cornerback A.J. Terrell staying on top of Colts receiver Alec Pierce's post route, enabling Bates to undercut it and make the interception.
That's just one example. Bates believes his entire season's worth of accolades reveals several others.
"You look at the stat line and it says ‘Jessie Bates,’ but I wouldn’t be able to do any of that without all the film study we do together." Bates said. "From the coaches, my peers, my teammates, we do a really good job of knowing what guys are doing during the week. It’s just a reflection of what we do and what we believe in.
"I can continue to go on about the teammates that I have. Props to them."
The next step for Bates is trying to guide the Falcons to the playoffs for the first time in six years, with the Dirty Birds needing to win out and get help from others in order to make that dream a reality.
But ultimately, whether Atlanta makes the postseason this year or not, it has three more seasons of Bates ... and the foundation he's helped establish inspires confidence there's brighter days ahead.
"You have a return on investment," Smith said. "Some guys get satisfied, ‘Alright, I got a deal,’ but Jessie’s one of those guys you appreciate because he continues to work. It’s real. Everything you hear about him is real.
"He’s a great football player and makes my job fun coming every day talking football with Jessie."
