Falcons continue monster August, push for elite defense with historic extension

The Atlanta Falcons opened the offseason with one of the biggest pickups on offense, signing four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins in March.

Five months later, the team is closing the summer with a flourish, loading up on defense in a push to be considered a serious Super Bowl contender.

The Falcons first acquired four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon in a trade with the New England Patriots on Aug. 14 and then signed two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons the next day. On Thursday, Atlanta locked in one of their own, signing cornerback A.J. Terrell to a historic contract extension.

Terrell landed a four-year, $81 million extension with $65.8 million in "effectively full guarantees," per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The insider notes the guarantee would be the largest ever given to a cornerback on a four-year deal.

The Falcons selected Terrell as the 16th overall pick during the 2020 NFL Draft and he's become one of their leaders in the secondary over the past four seasons.

The Clemson product has missed just six games over his first four years in the league and had his best season in 2021 when he was named second team All-Pro. Terrell led Atlanta and was tied for sixth in the league with his 16 passes defended that year, while tying for the team-high with three interceptions.

He missed three games in 2022 but bounced back to play in all 17 contests last year. Terrell finished 2023 tied with Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III for the team lead in passes defended (11), while adding a career-high four tackles for loss.

The 25-year-old Terrell is joined in the Falcons projected starting secondary by Bates, Simmons, 2018 first-round pick Mike Hughes and third-year cornerback DeAundre Alford.