Kevin Stefanski on Jessie Bates trade: Falcons aren't punting on the season

Published November 9, 2026 02:29 PM The Falcons traded veteran safety Jessie Bates to the Jaguars today, which some might see as a sign that the Falcons don’t see themselves as contenders and are looking ahead at 2027. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski says that’s not the case.Stefanski did acknowledge that the Falcons are building for the future, but he also noted that in the NFC South, Atlanta remains very much in contention at 3-6.“You guys know how I feel about Jessie the person, Jessie the player,” Stefanski told reporters. “But at the same time, this is football, where sometimes you have one foot in the short term, one foot in the long term. There’s things like this that make your team better in the long run. Draft picks are the life blood of an organization. That’s something we believe in.Stefanski said he wants fans to know that they still are going to compete to win the NFC South.“Our fans are smart enough to know that in no way, shape or form would we punt on this season. We have three wins, just like the rest of our division. Obviously not where we want to be, we want to play better, but we’re in the thick of this thing and we trust in the guys we have,” Stefanski said.The Falcons might not be punting on the season, but they are deciding to move on from a player who can help them this season and get draft picks for future seasons. The Falcons still might win the worst division in football, but today’s trade is not the trade pf a team that thinks it’s a Super Bowl contender this year.