FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The players have spoken.
The NFL Players Association announced its 2023 All-Pro team on Wednesday. There was one Atlanta Falcons member chosen by his peers: free safety Jessie Bates III.
This honor comes from players across the league voting on the best player at their same position and positions they line up against. They're asked to select other players with the most impact during the regular season. Those who missed five or more games as of Week 15 were ineligible.
Bates signed with the Falcons this past offseason as a free agent on March 16, 2023. In his first season with the organization, he made a true impact. Bates started all 17 games, setting multiple new career highs. He did so in his interception count (six; previously four), forced fumbles (three; previously one) and total tackles (132; previously 111). Bates also had his second career pick-six in 2023, returning the interception a career-long 92 yards for the touchdown.
The NFL itself named Bates an NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in 2023 – after Weeks 1 and 12.
Bates was also one of two Falcons members to be voted into the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, joining offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom in Orlando, Florida, this February.
Prior to beginning his tenure with the Falcons, Bates spent five years with the Cincinnati Bengals, who used a second-round pick on him in the 2018 NFL Draft. Bates was the fourth-ranked free safety in last season's NFLPA All-Pro team.
