It was a tough season for Atlanta Falcons fans who watched the team remain mediocre, finishing 7-10 for the third straight season. Still, someone who proved themselves to be a star during that time was free agent safety signing Jessie Bates III.
Bates was just named a member of the NFL's All-Pro First Team for the first time in his career, receiving the accolade in his first season with the Falcons.
In free agency, Bates would leave the Cincinnati Bengals and sign a four-year contract with Atlanta worth up to 64.02 million dollars. Although some people considered the contract an overpay since the Falcons weren't viewed as a team that was a safety away from having a premier defense, yet they paid Bates, a free safety who had one Second-Team All-Pro appearance on his resume and no other accolades, a contract that implied he was one of the top four safeties in football.
All doubters were silenced this season as Bates would go on to be absolutely dominant and make an argument as not only one of the best safeties in football but one of the best defensive players in the entire NFL for the 2023 season.
Oftentimes, it was Bates who almost single-handedly seemed to keep Atlanta in football games while the Falcons' offense struggled. Bates' 132 tackles this season were the eighteenth-most tackles in the entire NFL and second-most among safeties.
On top of being a tackling machine, Bates had the third most interceptions in the NFL (6), another number that ranked No. 2 among all safeties this season.
Bates' career year across the board and dominance in all aspects of his game was a fantastic addition to Atlanta this offseason. The star safety proved he's someone who can lead the defense in a positive direction going forward with whoever the next head coach may be.
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