The Kansas City Chiefs got back in the win column on Sunday and are 6-2 on the year. Next up for the Chiefs is a road date with the Atlanta Falcons, who dropped to 3-6 after losing in Spain to the Bengals.
That loss forced the Falcons into trading safety Jessie Bates to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round selection. Chiefs fans might remember Bates when he was with the Bengals during the short-lived Chiefs-Bengals rivalry. He signed with the Falcons in 2023 and is in the final year of his contract.
Dropping to 3-6 means that the Falcons, who are only one game out of first place in the NFC South, knew what they had to do with Bates. It's great timing for the Chiefs, though, who now have one less defensive weapon to worry about on Sunday in Atlanta.
Chiefs won't have to worry about Jessie Bates in Week 10
Bates is a talented safety who has logged at least one interception in every season of his lengthy career. While the Falcons have promising young players in their secondary, Bates not being there will make things slightly easier for Patrick Mahomes on Sunday.
Second-year safety Xavier Watts now becomes the most important safety in Atlanta. Watts was fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last season, but he has allowed 22 receptions on 29 targets—a 76% completion rate for opposing passers—so far this season. In Bates' place, Sydney Brown or DeMarcco Hellams will receive more playing time, and it might take a few weeks for the Falcons to sort those things out.
Falcons are still dangerous offensively
The Falcons are still strong offensively, with Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson as weapons for third-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons have been very hot and cold, looking unstoppable in some games and pitiful in others. It'll be interesting to see which version the Chiefs get on Sunday in Georgia.
Still, it's nice to see a team trading away a key defensive player before a matchup with the Chiefs instead of adding talent. With Bates gone, Mahomes will face an Atlanta secondary that's suddenly missing one of its most accomplished playmakers.
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