The Atlanta Falcons continue to prove that they are all in and are movers and shakers just two weeks away from the start of the 2024 NFL season. This time, they took care of one of their own cornerstones.
The Falcons agreed to terms with cornerback A.J. Terrell on a four-year, $81 million contract extension, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The agreement includes $65.8 million fully guaranteed, at $20.25 million per year, making Terrell the second-highest paid cornerback in NFL history, per Rapoport, behind only the Green Bay Packers’ Jaire Alexander at $21 million per year.
The contract was negotiated by Terrell’s agents David Mulugheta and Trevon Smith of Athletes First.
Set to play out the string on his fifth-year rookie option, worth $12.34 million, Terrell shrugged off any concerns about his long-term future with the Falcons when asked by reporters about his contract status last month. Now we completely understand why. The huge, well-deserved payday was just around the corner.
When training camp opened in July, Terrell acknowledged that negotiations on a new deal were underway, but said he was “so focused on just being with the team.”
“So, it’s easy for me to just come out, come to work and not think about it and know that it’s in good hands,” he said.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe physical and intense corner has evolved into one of the best cover men in the NFL during his four seasons in Atlanta. Terrell is a shadow corner who regularly goes mano a mano with the oppositions No. 1 receiver across the formation.
A second-team All-Pro in 2021, Terrell has accumulated 247 tackles, 43 passes defensed, four interceptions and one sack in four seasons.
It is an absolute head-scratcher that he has never been selected to the Pro Bowl. Terrell’s lack of interceptions, zero over the past two seasons, likely keeps him out of the national spotlight, but that does not tell the whole story of his impact. The 25-year-old is the straw that stirs the drink in the Falcons’ secondary. His uncanny ability to stick like glue to top targets is rare in today’s game. That skill might lead to some yards given up and even some first downs, but Terrell has displayed the talent and athleticism to make plays in crucial moments.
In the first year under coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons could have played out the campaign, evaluating how the corner fits into the new scheme. Instead, they locked him down through the 2028 season.
It is the latest in a laundry list of big offseason moves for the Falcons, who traded for edge rusher Matt Judon and signed safety Justin Simmons in the past week.
