South Atlanta News

The Atlanta Falcons officially announced Thursday they extended cornerback A.J. Terrell's contract through the 2028 season.

"We are very glad to be in the position to provide this extension for A.J., who is certainly well deserving of it," Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said. "A homegrown player, he embodies the characteristics and traits we want as a Falcon. He leads by example with his work ethic, and as a great teammate he does anything he can to help this team win on a continuous basis. We appreciate the support of our owner, Arthur Blank, for providing the resources to reward players who operate the right way."

The contract extension is reportedly a four-year deal worth $81 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. With $65.8 million "effectively fully guaranteed," the figure makes Terrell the second-highest paid cornerback ever.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the $65.8 million guarantee is the largest guarantee ever given to a cornerback on a four-year deal.

Terrell was selected by the Falcons with the No. 16 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Atlanta picked up his fifth-year option in April 2023 for the 2024 season, but reaching a long-term agreement with Terrell was a topic of conversation this offseason.

"What's cool about A.J. is I remember the first day that he got here several years ago, he was one of the first people I saw in the building, and he was constantly in the building and he's still like that," Fontenot said in March at the Annual League Meeting. "The worker, the consummate pro that he is, that's what you get excited because that's a hard position... The way that he works, he's just constantly growing, and that's important."

Since joining, Terrell has been a constant on the Falcons' defense, playing and starting in 61 of a possible 67 games. His career totals include: 247 tackles, 43 pass breakups, four interceptions, four forced fumbles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Terrell's impact was felt early on in his career. His first-ever interception came in Week 6 against Minnesota Vikings; he picked off current Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins in that game. Terrell forced three fumbles that year as well.

In his second season, Terrell earned All-Pro second team honors from The Associated Press with 16 pass breakups — sixth-most in the league — three interceptions, 81 tackles and a sack.

After his third season tallying 47 tackles, nine pass breakups and a fumble recovery; Atlanta decided to move forward with Terrell's fifth-year option on April 28th—four days before NFL’s deadline for first-round draft picks from 2020.

Most recently in 2023; Terrell recorded another solid performance with stats including:45 tackles &11 pass breakups despite not having consistent partner since debut year(2020). Locking him long-term promotes stability atleast half field.