“Jessie Bates needs to be one of those guys that you draft and all of a sudden he becomes an outstanding player,” were the words of 92-9 The Game’s evening host Jon Chuckery on Wednesday as shared his thoughts on his expectations for the newly acquired Atlanta Falcons safety. As Chuckery continued, he explained that he does not believe Bates should be a “$14 million guy that stands 10 yards away from the line of scrimmage,”.
And while Chuckery admits to not being in agreeance with how much the Falcons spent to retain Bates’ service, he praised the fifth year player for his performance on the field since coming into the league, in particular the 2020 season in which Bates totaled 109 tackles, 78 of them solo, and three interceptions. “In 2020, in the pandemic, he was the best safety in football,” Chuckery said of Bates. Click link above to hear Chuckery’s full comments: