Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has played in the NFL for a long time. A 13-year NFL veteran, he’s started for three different teams and gone up against many of the league’s premier defenders. However, one defender stands out above the rest of the pack: Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates.
“He’s just a really good football player,” Cousins said when asked about going against Bates in practice. “I haven’t seen anybody in my career on the defensive side of the ball in the secondary that’s a better football player than him.”
High praise from Cousins, who spent six seasons in Minnesota playing alongside safety Harrison Smith, a six-time Pro Bowler.
During the 2024 season, Bates recorded 102 total tackles (62 solo, 40 assisted), one sack, four interceptions (tied 5th), and a league-leading four forced fumbles. Bates was the only player in the NFL last season, at any position, to record four or more forced fumbles and four or more interceptions. Per PFF, he had six pass breakups, tied for the fifth most in the NFL.
While Bates has certainly proved himself as one of the best players in the NFL on the field, he has also become a great leader in Atlanta’s locker room.
“I think he’s come into his own as a leader there, which has helped his confidence as a player,” an unnamed NFC scout said of Bates during ESPN’s annual survey of the league’s best players.
Rookie Jalon Walker has been putting in work with the edge rushers during training camp and practices; however, Bates, as an overall leader of the defense, has still made his presence felt.
“The captains of our defense, Kaden [ellis] and AJ [Terrell] and Jessie [Bates], those guys have uplifted us and put us in the right position to keep moving forward,” Walker said.
Bates is one of the best players in the league, and Kirk Cousins doubles down on this notion. This offseason, he has focused on helping his teammates learn from him as well, as the defense looks to bounce back from a disappointing season and launch a playoff season.
