Falcons Continue All-In Offseason With Blockbuster Signing

Fresh off sacrificing a valuable 2025 third-round draft pick to bring prolific pass-rusher Matthew Judon, who had 32 sacks in his 38 games with the Patriots and made a pair of Pro Bowls, to town from New England, the Falcons are continuing their all-in offseason and have agreed to terms on a deal with star cornerback A.J. Terrell that will keep him with Atlanta for the foreseeable future.

Selected by the Falcons with the 16th overall pick in the 2020 draft and selected as a second-team All-Pro in 2021, 25-year-old Terrell inked a four-year, $81 million contract that includes $65.8 million in guaranteed cash, which represents the largest guarantee ever given to a cornerback on a four-year agreement, according to ESPN.

The Falcons, who also signed former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons to a one-year deal worth $8 million the day after trading for Judon, now have Terrell locked up as a key cog in a defensive core that already includes Grady Jarrett and Jessie Bates III. A fifth-year player, Terrell finished 2023 tied Bates, a Pro Bowl safety, for the team lead in passes defended (11) while adding a career-high four tackles for loss last season.

Leaky on defense last season, Atlanta has shored up that side of the ball by leaps and bounds this offseason under the watch of first-year Falcons coach Raheem Morris. The all-in moves made by the team now gives Atlanta a defense that should complement a Falcon offense that boasts playmakers including running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts.

Unlike last season, those skill players will have an NFL-caliber quarterback getting them the football as Atlanta spent big early in free agency to lure Kirk Cousins down south away from the Minnesota Vikings. And if for some reason Cousins, who is coming off a torn ACL he suffered early last season, should falter, the Falcons have his replacement waiting in the wings after using a first-round pick on Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. in April's draft.

The moves probably aren't enough to vault Atlanta into Super Bowl contention, but the Falcons, who have finished at 7-10 for three straight seasons, have an excellent shot at getting into the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season.