The Atlanta Falcons' 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9 can be blamed on a whole lot of unforced errors and a lack of discipline, but if you want to blame a specific player, look no further than A.J. Terrell, who was the equivalent of a traffic cone in coverage in Madrid on Sunday morning.
In Spain, Terrell was forced to face off with his longtime nemesis and one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Ja'Marr Chase. And just like in the 2019 national championship, Chase gave him trouble all day, as he caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown on the game--and eight for 142 and the score came in the first half, including a 47-yard touchdown against A.J. on the opening drive
There was also a play where he was flagged for a defensive holding in the red zone which negated a sack of Joe Burrow by Gervon Dexter Sr., and where rookie tight end Jack Endries delivered a mean block against him in a run play. This was a nightmare day for him, and he was a big reason for the loss.
For a long time, Terrell has been the best part of this secondary, but those days feel like a distant memory. He's now on his Desmond Trufant arc, as injuries have hampered his abilities in coverage, and given he's a bad tackler too, his regression has left the Falcons in an awfully sticky situation.
The Bengals took advantage of A.J. Terrell in the Falcons' Week 9 loss
The 29-year-old's best trait has been his ability to take opposing WR1s out of the game, but this was not one of those matchups. Terrell was targeted seven times on Sunday morning, and he allowed five receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns--the one to Chase and one to Tee Higgins.
According to Pro Football Focus, his 30.6 coverage grade was the lowest on the team and his worst coverage grade of the season. But that's exactly how the Bengals won this game. Well aware of the history between Terrell and Chase (and the current circumstances), Joe Burrow (who was also on that 2019 LSU team) made sure to pick on the All-Pro cornerback when the matchup was there.
Just take this quote from Ja'Marr Chase himself. While speaking to reporters after the game, he was asked about the long touchdown, and his response all came back to that LSU-Clemson matchup from over a half-decade ago. And with the way he just played, he can afford to talk a little bit of trash.
"When Joe seen AJ Terrell on me, he got pretty excited," Chase said.
That should tell you everything you need to know about the way other teams see No. 24, but unfortunately, there's nothing the Dirty Birds can do about it.
The Atlanta Falcons are stuck with A.J. Terrell for three more seasons
Unfortunately, this is another instance where this new regime have to clean up one of Terry Fontenot's messes. In August of 2024, prior to the final season of his rookie contract, the Falcons signed Terrell to a four-year, $81 million contract extension. so he's under contract through 2028.
He's getting paid legit CB1 money to get out-performed by C.J. Henderson. That's a separate issue. But given releasing him would come with $48 million in dead cap in 2026 and $35 million and 2027, so this cap hit and the high highs basically force Atlanta to endure the low lows we've seen this year.
Ian Cunningham did not sign up for a CB predicament like this, and it's unlikely there would be much interest in him on the trade market. The only thing the Falcons can really do here is possibly draft his successor in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft. Leonard Moore or Ellis Robinson IV, would either of you like to learn Atlanta?
It's crystal clear right now that A.J. Terrell is a shell of his old self and the Atlanta Falcons may need to look into long-term replacements for their top cornerback.
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