Jesse Bates III

Jessie Bates III is an active American professional football safety for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He has established himself as one of the premier safeties in the league with three career Second-team All-Pro selections.

Player Profile, High School, and College Career

Jessie Bates III was born on February 26, 1997, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. The Safety stands 185 cm tall, and his weight was last listed at 95 kg.

He attended Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he was a multi-sport athlete in football and basketball, leading his football team to a state semi-state appearance while excelling as a defensive back and return specialist.

Playing for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons from 2015 to 2017, he quickly emerged as a foundational piece in their secondary. After redshirting his first year, Bates delivered a spectacular 2016 redshirt freshman campaign, racking up 100 total tackles and five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, to earn Second-team All-ACC honors.

Professional Career

Bates was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (54th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He made an immediate impact in Cincinnati, winning the starting free safety job outright as a rookie and securing a selection to the PFWA All-Rookie Team after starting all 16 games and leading the team with 111 tackles.

Bates grew into the defensive anchor of the Bengals' secondary, earning his first Second-team All-Pro nod in 2020. He played a monumental role in Cincinnati's historic 2021 postseason run to Super Bowl LVI. In March 2023, Bates signed a lucrative four-year, $64 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons as a marquee unrestricted free agent.

He put together a magnificent debut season in Atlanta, recording a career-high six interceptions and forcing three fumbles to secure both his first career Pro Bowl selection and his second career Second-team All-Pro honor.

He maintained his high-level starting role throughout the subsequent campaigns, securing his third career Second-team All-Pro nod following the 2025 season to bring his career totals to 811 tackles and 27 interceptions. Bates joined the Falcons' voluntary offseason program in April 2026, publicly expressing his explicit desire to finish out his career with the franchise.

Off the Field

Off the field, Bates has consistently dedicated his time and resources to community empowerment and philanthropy.

Upon signing his major contract with the Falcons in 2023, he immediately pledged a personal donation of one million dollars to support single mothers and youth development programs in both his hometown of Fort Wayne and the greater Atlanta region.

Career Highlights:

• 2020, 2023, 2025 – 3× Second-team All-Pro
• 2023 – Pro Bowl
• 2018 – PFWA All-Rookie Team
• 2016 – Second-team All-ACC