Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates will sign with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a four-year deal that pays Bates $16 million per year, making him the fourth-highest paid in history.
The news comes not long after the Bengals lost fellow starting safety Vonn Bell to the Carolina Panthers.
The proverbial writing was on the wall for Bates leaving the Bengals after both parties couldn’t agree on an extension multiple times. That led to the franchise tag and a holdout last year as the team drafted eventual replacement Dax Hill in the first round. While both parties would have still liked to work something out, Bates had a telling comment after the season about the realities of the open market.
Bates joined the Bengals via the second round of the 2018 draft and had an immediate impact with 111 total tackles as a rookie. Over five seasons, he put up 478 total tackles with 14 interceptions and three forced fumbles, reaching a career-high PFF grade of 90.1 in 2020.
