Rival coach rubs salt on a wound Bengals fans are still trying to heal from thanks to Cincinnati’s brutal mistake
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski now has Jessie Bates III on his team, and he remembers very clearly how tough it was to call plays against the Cincinnati Bengals when Bates was with his original team.
The Cincinnati Bengals have spent most of the last three years trying to replace safety Jessie Bates III.
First it was Nick Scott and Dax Hill. Then came along Geno Stone and Jordan Battle. Now Bryan Cook and Kyle Dugger have each entered the fray. So much investment has been made to help replace a key figure from Cincinnati’s playoff teams from the start of the decade.
One former AFC North head coach surely doesn’t miss those days of going up against him, and now he’s got Bates on his new team.
Kevin Stefanski reminds Bengals fans of who they once had to root for
Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski held the same title with the Cleveland Browns from 2020-25. He witnessed the peak years of Bates making plays for the Bengals, and knows he’s still doing it entering his ninth year in the NFL.
“As a playcaller, called plays against Jessie Bates when he was there in Cincinnati, he’s a pain in the butt,” Stefanski told ESPN’s Kevin Clark. “He’s ball aware, he can make plays from that backend, game-changing plays.”
Stefanski questioned whether or not Bates is an under-the-radar player, to which Clark chimed in a reminder of how fans of his former team feel.
“Certainly not in Cincinnati,” Clark said. “Because Bengals fans are still complaining about letting him walk.”
Clark is not wrong, and Bengals fans cannot be blamed.
Bates’ departure has had its consequences
Letting Bates walk was a mistake the moment it was deemed inevitable. Cincinnati franchise-tagged the former second-round pick in the 2022 offseason after failing to reach a long-term contract. Both sides tried again later in the year but were at an impasse.
Bates officially left in the 2023 offseason, and the Bengals’ defense has been struggling ever since. They rank 29th in EPA/play allowed and 31st in success rate allowed over the last three years. Their struggles at the safety position have been well-documented, and further supported by the numerous additions made to compensate for Bates’ departure.
Stefanski will get to coach Bates for at least one year. The four-year, $64 million contract Bates signed with Atlanta upon leaving Cincinnati expires next offseason. He will also play against the Bengals sometime during the 2026 regular season, potentially in Madrid.
Hopefully by then, Cincy’s safety issues are officially a thing of the past, and the scars of Bates leaving are healed. You can draft the Bengals a safety with the A to Z Sports NFL Mock Draft Simulator!
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