ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons on Thursday ensured star cornerback A.J. Terrell will continue to be a core part of their next few seasons, signing the 25-year-old to a four-year contract extension.
Terms of the deal were not officially disclosed by the team, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the deal to be worth $81 million.
Of that, more than $65 million is reportedly guaranteed, which would make the contract the largest guaranteed deal ever for a cornerback.
“We are very glad to be in the position to provide this extension for A.J., who is certainly well deserving of it,” Atlanta Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot said in a statement. “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.”
An alum of Westlake High, Terrell has started at least 14 games in each of his four seasons with the Falcons since he was taken with the 16th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. That includes him making the 2021 Associated Press NFL All-Pro second team.
The Falcons highlighted his 2023 season stats in a release, including 45 tackles last season and 11 passes defended and contributions to a pass defense that finished in the top 10 in both opponent passing yards per game and opponent completion percentage.