Why Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III Won't Make Jaguars Debuts vs. Titans After NFL Trade Deadline

Trade deadline acquisitions Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III will be inactive for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday when they face the Tennessee Titans on the road.

According to Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, Jags head coach Liam Coen mentioned the fact that Davis and Bates have not yet had a bye week as the "primary reason" for them not playing on Sunday.

The Jags sent a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Davis on Monday, and they also landed Bates in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick.

Jacksonville actually made a trio of trades on Monday, also landing defensive tackle Davon Godchaux from the New Orleans Saints for a conditional 2028 sixth-round pick.

Unlike Davis and Bates, Coen told reporters that Godchaux will play on Sunday, as he already had his bye with New Orleans.

Davis was the biggest and most surprising acquisition made by the Jags prior to the deadline given that he had just signed a three-year, $78 million contract extension with the Eagles in March.

The 26-year-old Davis went 13th overall to the Eagles in the 2022 NFL draft, and over five seasons in Philadelphia, he recorded 193 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

A one-time Super Bowl champion, Davis is listed at 6'6" and 336 pounds, and he is a premier run-stuffer who should make it even more difficult to run on Jacksonville's fifth-ranked run defense.

Bates, 29, has consistently been among the NFL's best safeties since the Cincinnati Bengals took him in the second round of the 2018 draft.

A one-time Pro Bowler and three-time Second Team All-Pro, Bates has 28 career interceptions to his credit, four of which have been returned for touchdowns.

Bates had one pick in nine games for the Falcons this season, plus he recovered a fumble and returned it for a score.

Averaging just under 100 tackles per season for his career, Bates is a complete safety who provides a boost to Jacksonville's No. 22 pass defense.

Even without the presence of Davis and Bates in the lineup on Sunday, the Jaguars are widely expected to come out on top given their 6-2 record compared to Tennessee's 1-7 mark.