PHOENIX — Bengals coach Zac Taylor was not happy to see safety Jessie Bates III walk out the door.
Bates, a second-team All-Pro in 2020, signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Falcons in free agency.
“It got to a price where we just couldn’t be in the mix,” Taylor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. “I’m really happy for Jessie. That’s the way it played out, to be honest with you.”
Bates was a second-round pick by the Bengals out of Wake Forest in 2018. He became a starter as a rookie.
Bates played in 79 games and made 79 starts for the Bengals. He amassed 327 tackles and 14 interceptions.
“What he’s meant to our team for the past five years,” Taylor said. “What he meant to me personally, as a guy that was there before I got there. He bought into everything, and we went through some really hard times.”
The Bengals turned things around in 2021 and went all the way to the Super Bowl.
“He played his highest level of football on two consecutive AFC Championship game runs,” Taylor said. “He had an interception in the Super Bowl for us. Was a leader every step of the way. Really proud for Jessie and happy that he got the contract that he got. He’ll do a great job down there in Atlanta.”
The Bengals wanted to keep Bates, but they have quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase’s contracts on the horizon.
“So, it’s one of those moments where it wasn’t going to work out for us at that level,” Taylor said. “Really happy that he got what he deserved from Atlanta. I’m really happy for him.”
Bates is expected to add some grit and toughness to the Falcons’ defense, which ranked in the bottom half of the league in four key categories. The Falcons were 23rd in points allowed (22.7), 27th in yards allowed (362.1), 23rd in rushing yards allowed (130.2) and 25th in passing yards allowed (231.9).
One of the Falcons’ other big moves was trading for tight end Jonnu Smith. The Falcons sent a seventh-round draft pick to the Patriots for Smith.
“Arthur (Smith) had him in Tennessee. I think he knows the player very well,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Jonnu is a great kid. I enjoyed working with him.”
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