Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates will have to settle for second-team All-Pro honors this year after an elite breakout season.
The Associated Press announced the voting results for All-Pro teams on Friday and Bates was snubbed from the first team in favor of Tyrann Mathieu, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Budda Baker.
It’s a major snub for Bates, who was the highest-graded safety in the NFL at Pro Football Focus at 90.1. He amassed 109 total tackles with 15 passes defensed, only allowing a 54.3 completion percentage. Mathieu, for comparison’s sake, graded at 64.1 with 62 total tackles, nine passes defensed and a 62.7 completion percentage allowed.
Bates will have to wait another year for a shot at a first-team snub and was also a Pro Bowl snub.
The full breakdown of safety voting by the 50 media members:
All-Pro voting at the safety position:
Tyrann Mathieu, 19 votes
Minkah Fitzpatrick, 18
Budda Baker, 18
Jamal Adams, 14
Jessie Bates III, 8
Justin Simmons, 6
Adrian Amos, 6Woof.
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) January 8, 2021
