The former Super Bowl champion already has familiarity with the Falcons.

Terrin Waack

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. Jordan Fuller and Jessie Bates III have bookended an NFL season before.

They've trained together in the offseason with performance coach in Florida. They've been on opposite sidelines at the Super Bowl.

Now, for the first time in their professional careers, the two safeties will spend an entire season together as teammates.

"I know everything Jordan is about," Bates said. "When he hit me up and was like, 'Hey, I'm thinking about coming to Atlanta. I was like, 'Why wouldn't you come to Atlanta?'"

Fuller signed with the Atlanta Falcons on March 20. Bates did so back in 2023.

Ever since he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, Fuller has had quite the rollercoaster of a journey. He was a sixth-round pickwho earned a starting role coming out of training camp;he missed four games due to a shoulder injury. In 2021, Fuller started in all but one regular-season game, but he missed all of the playoffs with an ankle injury. That includes the Rams' Super Bowl LVI win against Bates and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although he didn't play in the game, Fuller's championship ring serves as a reminder of the integral part he played in getting the Rams to the title game.

"Talk about a Super Bowl champion, right?" Falcons secondary coach Justin Hood said. "Somebody that's been through it. He's a veteran. He's seen it all the ups, the downs."

And they continued in 2022. Fuller played in just three games because of a hamstring injury.

Fuller returned to his full-time position in 2023, but the Rams did not re-sign him at season's end. Instead, Fuller landed with the Carolina Panthers.

Upon landing in the NFC South last year, Fuller was an immediate starter. He re-injured his hamstring in the Panthers' Week 3 win against the Las Vegas Raiders and missed the following six games. But once healthy, Fuller slid right back into the starting lineup, playing in five consecutive games. He was inactive Weeks 16-17 before returning for the Panthers' overtime win against the Falcons to close out the season. He made eight tackles in 65.8% of the defensive snaps.

Although there have been moments where injuries have put a pause on his progress, Fuller has always bounced back to be a threat in the secondary.

Fuller had three interceptions in both 2020 and 2022, which either led or ranked second among the Rams. He had another one in 2021. So, he's at seven picks overall.

"I just think that he's excited to have a fresh start," Bates said. "You have so many expectations when you hit free agency and stuff like that, and sometimes it doesn't go your way. I think this is just another stepping stone in his career where he wants to prove to everybody that he can play ball.

"And I know he can."

There's potential, perhaps more than what he has already put on tape. Bates believes in Fuller. So does Hood. That belief even extends up to Raheem Morris because this isn't the first time the Falcons head coach has worked with Fuller.

Morris was the Rams defensive coordinator from 2021-23. He has seen firsthand what Fuller can do when healthy. And right now, as OTAs are underway in Atlanta, Fuller is healthy.

"There's a bunch of familiarity for me," Fuller said. "I think it's going to be a good fresh start."

There's opportunity, too. Bates' starting partner in 2024, Justin Simmons, is a free agent, so the Falcons will need to fill that void on the depth chart. Fuller isn't the only one in contention.Kevin King is sharing first-team reps in early practices. DeMarcco Hellams is returning from an ankle injury. Xavier Watts is joining as a third-round draft pick.

That'll be more of a conversation come August with training camp. In the meantime, Fuller is getting acclimated to Atlanta.

"He's a great add to our room," Bates said, "not just as a football player but as a person."

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