ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to trade safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for two draft picks, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Falcons will receive a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, the person said.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade.
The 29-year-old Bates had been included in reports as a player who could be moved before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.
Bates confirmed the trade on social media when he wrote on his X account on Monday “WOKE UP A JAGUAR!" He also wrote “ATL Forever Grateful!”
Bates had a career-high 14 tackles in the Falcons' 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in Madrid. The Falcons (3-6) have lost four of their last five games under first-year coach Kevin Stefanski, leaving them on a path to their ninth consecutive losing season.
Bates has 60 tackles, three forced fumbles, one interception and a 36-yard return for a touchdown on a fumble recovery as a bright spot for the Falcons.
In nine seasons, including five with Cincinnati, Bates has 28 interceptions and 14 forced fumbles.
While the Falcons have struggled, the Jaguars (6-2) are contending for the top playoff spot in the AFC. The Jaguars have won five of their last six games, including a 33-10 victory in Baltimore on Thursday night.
The Jaguars will play at Tennessee on Sunday. Titans coach Robert Saleh said his team's challenge became more difficult following the trade.
“What they’ve done is added an All-Pro player to an already championship caliber football team,” Saleh said. "Last week I made the comment that Cincinnati was the best team we’ve played all year? Well, Jacksonville’s one-upping it. This team has done a great job developing the players on that roster.”
AP Sports Writer Mark Long and Associated Press freelance writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report.
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Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) and safety Xavier Watts (31) warm-up during NFL football practice in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
LONDON (AP) — Spinner Liam Patterson-White earned his first test call-up for the three-test cricket series away to South Africa while Jacob Bethell is recalled following a knee injury.
England named its squad on Monday for what will be Stephen Fleming’s first series as head coach after Brendan McCullum was fired following a dismal Ashes defeat in Australia.
The 28-year-old Patterson-White is a left-arm finger spinner and took 42 wickets for Nottinghamshire in the top tier of the county championship this season, more than any other spinner, at an average of 25.11.
“I think Liam has performed very well in the last year or two,” England men’s selector Marcus North said, highlighting his ability to spin the ball away from right-handed batters.
He will form England's bowling unit along with swing specialist Ollie Robinson and pacers Josh Tongue, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson.
Veteran batting great Joe Root captains the side as he searches for his England record-extending 42nd test century and looks to close in on 15,000 runs. The 23-year-old Bethell scored a fine century in the fifth test of the Ashes last winter.
“We have selected a strong and balanced squad that is ready for the challenge of facing a South African team that are ICC test world champions and who returned to the top of the ICC test rankings following their recent 2-1 series win over Australia,” North said.
Patterson-White was selected over Shoaib Bashir, who is named in the England Lions red-ball squad, while spin-bowling allrounder Rehan Ahmed goes into the Lions' white-ball squad.
Pacer Brydon Carse — who was dropped from the test side in August following a late-night incident — is in both of those squads along with experienced batter Ollie Pope, who lost his test place at No. 3 during the Ashes.
It was another blow to Bashir, who has 71 test wickets and was once a mainstay of the side under former captain Ben Stokes, who often pushed for his inclusion and backed him strongly.
However, the 23-year-old was part of the Ashes tour and did not play a single test, with Stokes preferring to use the part-time spin of batter Will Jacks.
North insists Bashir remains a firm part of England's plans.
“We continue to be incredibly invested in Shoaib,” North said. “He is someone we do still have a very positive outlook on.”
But South Africa appears to have a clear edge in the spin department, with veteran Simon Harmer tormenting Australia with the trajectory and variety of his off-breaks. North added that Root — who has a decent return of 72 test wickets — and batter Dan Lawrence can provide additional spin options.
Carse toiled at times against aggressive Australian batting, but emerged with credit for bowling long shifts in the heat and for taking 22 wickets, albeit somewhat expensively.
Carse was dropped after images on social media showed him in police handcuffs outside a nightclub in Derby in late August, following a game with Stokes for their club side Durham.
The first test opens on Dec. 17 at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, with the second test beginning Dec. 26 at Centurion Park in Centurion, and the potentially decisive third test at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town starting Jan. 3.
Before the first test, Fleming's side plays a warm-up match against a Cricket South Africa (CSA) XI in Durban.
The Lions tour is from Nov. 26 to Dec. 21.
See AP’s full cricket coverage here
FILE - Former New Zealand cricketer and Chennai Super Kings team coach Stephen Fleming speaks during a press conference in Bangalore, India, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, file)
England's Jacob Bethell hits a six during the second T20 cricket match between England and India in Manchester, England, Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
