The Jacksonville Jaguars are making a clear push toward the top of the AFC, and the latest move has the betting market reacting fast. After reportedly striking a deal with the Atlanta Falcons for Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III, Jacksonville has jumped into the top four in Super Bowl odds.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are sending a second-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and a fifth-round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft to Atlanta. The trade comes with Jacksonville sitting at 6-2 and looking every bit like a team that plans to keep adding before the 2026 deadline arrives on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The odds shift was immediate. Jacksonville is now listed at +850 to win the Super Bowl at DraftKings Sportsbook, putting the Jaguars fourth in the market. Only the San Francisco 49ers (+550), Buffalo Bills (+600) and Chicago Bears (+750) sit ahead of them.
That rise fits the way this season has unfolded for Liam Coen’s team. After finishing as the No. 3 seed in the AFC in 2025, the Jaguars are back in the conversation for the conference’s top spot in 2026.
They’ve opened the year 6-2 through nine weeks and are coming off a blowout of the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night in Week 9. With the Houston Texans at 3-5 and the only other AFC South team above two wins, Jacksonville looks like a firm playoff team in the AFC.
Trevor Lawrence has been a big part of that surge, with the quarterback sitting at +900 in the MVP market. Now the Jaguars are backing him up by strengthening a defense that has already been one of the league’s best. Jacksonville enters Week 10 ranked No. 3 in EPA/Play, No. 3 in EPA/Pass and No. 1 in EPA/Rush.
Bates brings a decorated résumé with him. He has playoff experience from his time with the Cincinnati Bengals, including a Super Bowl appearance in the 2021 season, and he has been named Second Team All-Pro three times.
This year, the veteran safety has played in nine games for Atlanta, recording one interception, returning a fumble recovery for a touchdown and making 60 tackles. He gives Jacksonville another proven piece on the back end as the team looks ahead to potential postseason matchups with elite quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow.
The Jaguars are now tied with San Francisco for the best odds to make the playoffs at -3300, and they’re also -1100 to win the AFC South for the second straight season. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Seahawks Just Added A Big Name To Fix Their Run Game
The trade market has become one of the more active parts of the NFL calendar in 2024, and Jacksonville has already been part of the movement. The Jaguars have added defensive help through deals for Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III and Davon Godchaux, a clear sign that the front office has not been shy about trying to patch holes while the season is still in motion.
Around the league, the pace has only picked up as the deadline approaches, with 13 in-season trades already completed. Baltimore brought in Jacoby Brissett, Chicago landed Jeffery Simmons and Seattle addressed its own issues by getting guard Quenton Nelson, another reminder that teams are willing to pay for immediate help when they think a roster can still be pushed forward. For Jacksonville, the bigger question is whether its own early moves are enough, or whether the Jaguars will keep working the phones before the market closes. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Pass Rush Search May Not Be Over After Mondays Moves
The Jaguars spent Monday reshaping their roster with three trades, but their work on the pass rush may not be finished. Before those moves, Jacksonville reportedly made a significant offer for Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV, a sign the front office was still looking for another edge presence even as it addressed other needs elsewhere.
McDonald has been open about wanting a change of scenery after seeing reduced playing time, but New York has so far held firm. The Jets still believe in the former first-round picks talent and development, and with McDonald under contract through 2026 plus a fifth-year option for 2027, any pursuit would likely have to become more serious before this one moves any closer to the finish line. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Made A Jordan Davis Move Fans Need To Unpack
With the trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars have been busy trying to patch up a defense that has been hit by injuries and needed more help in both the secondary and the front seven. In a flurry of moves, Jacksonville added Jordan Davis, Davon Godchaux and Jessie Bates, sending draft picks to the Eagles, Saints and Falcons as part of a clear push to get sturdier on that side of the ball.
For a team trying to stay in the mix, the appeal is obvious: Davis brings size up front, Godchaux adds another body to the interior and Bates gives the back end a proven presence. The cost in picks shows how aggressively Jacksonville is treating this stretch of the season, and it also leaves the bigger question of how quickly all three can settle in and make the defense look more complete. [Read more 🡒]