Jaguars Will Sit New Additions Jessie Bates, Jordan Davis vs. Titans to Give Them a Bye
Liam Coen says the two deadline acquisitions never got a bye with their old teams, so they'll rest Sunday in Tennessee and target a Week 11 debut against the Giants
Jacksonville's two biggest deadline additions will have to wait to make their debuts. Head coach Liam Coen said Friday that safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle Jordan Davis will not play Sunday at Tennessee, with the team using the week as the bye neither player has had this season. Ari Meirov reported the plan is for both to debut in Week 11 against the Giants.
New #Jaguars S Jessie Bates and DT Jordan Davis are OUT Sunday vs. the #Titans, as the organization is giving them their “bye” this week. Bates and Davis didn’t have a bye in Atlanta and Philadelphia, respectively, while Jacksonville already had theirs. The plan was to use this week to prepare, rest their bodies and make their debuts in Week 11 vs. the Giants.View on X →
Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate): New #Jaguars S Jessie Bates and DT Jordan Davis are OUT Sunday vs. the #Titans, as the organization is giving them their “bye” this week. Bates and Davis didn’t have a bye in Atlanta and Philadelphia, respectively, while Jacksonville already had theirs. The plan was to use this week to prepare, rest their bodies and make their debuts in Week 11 vs. the Giants.
The scheduling quirk is real. The Jaguars took their bye in Week 7. Philadelphia is off this week, and Atlanta's bye doesn't come until Week 11, so Davis and Bates would otherwise have gone the entire regular season without a break. Coen told ESPN's Michael DiRocco the decision was about health and the learning curve:
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, the third deadline pickup, will play Sunday because he already had a bye with the Saints in Week 8.
Jacksonville paid a premium for both players on Monday. The Jaguars sent a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-rounder to the Eagles for Davis, who had 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks while playing 52% of Philadelphia's snaps. They gave Atlanta a 2027 second and a 2028 fifth for Bates, who has an interception, three forced fumbles and 60 tackles in nine games. Godchaux came from New Orleans for a conditional sixth.
The timing is low-risk. The 6-2 Jaguars lead the AFC South after winning at Baltimore last week and face a 1-7 Titans team Sunday at 10 a.m. PT. Bates and Davis should be on the field when Jacksonville visits the Giants on Nov. 22, with a Titans rematch at home a week later.