When Atlanta Falcons cornerback AJ Terrell signed his four-year, $81 million contract extension in August of 2024, he was the second-highest paid cornerback in NFL history. Was that perceived to be a little rich at the time?
Respectfully, yes, but then General Manager Terry Fontenot was held hostage with the leverage of timing and limited resources at the position. To his aide, the deal has aged gracefully, as I’m sure Fontenot would claim to have been the vision of seeing the future in the CB market booming.
Falcons CB A.J. Terrell is now the 10th highest-paid cornerback in the NFL
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) August 15, 2026
That’s what getting ahead of the market looks like & projected value evening out
Devon Witherspoon won’t be the last either, Gonzo is coming for the lead https://t.co/a5HhU9wi1O pic.twitter.com/W03ZmVy2FI
With recent news of star CB and former Super Bowl Champion Devon Witherspoon signing a four-year, $132 million deal with the Seahawks to make him the highest paid CB ever, Terrell finds himself now rounding out the Top 10 earners at the position. Who else has cashed in the last two years?
A.J. Terrell is falling down the list of the NFL's highest-paid cornerbacks
NFL’s highest-paid CBs on an average per year salary:
Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon — $33 million
Browns CB Denzel Ward — $31.1 million
Rams CB Trent McDuffie — $31 million
Colts CB Sauce Gardner — $30.1 million
Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. — $30 million
Panthers CB Jaycee Horn - $25 million
Broncos Pat Surtain Jr. - $24 million
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland - $22.5 million
Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey - $21.75 million
Falcons CB A.J. Terrell - $20.25 million
Once he gets his own new extension, Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez will likely soon take over the #1 spot ahead of Witherspoon and push Terrell out of the top ten entirely. For one of the best cornerbacks in football, that's a steal.
For anyone thinking this A.J. Terrell deal is a tad heavy on the #Falcons checkbook,
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) August 22, 2024
Terrell & his agent had GM Terry Fontenot held hostage with leverage for the first time in his regime.
Watch the CB deals that come after, not before … (Surtain II, Sauce, McDuffie, etc) https://t.co/oAkBEz3F0D
While the tape tells the tale, the stat sheet is underrated in its own right: 93 games started, 381 tackles, 12 turnovers forced, & 61 passes deflected. Off the field, the Falcons’ 2025 nominee for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year notoriously leads in the Atlanta community, going back to his days as the Georgia 7A Player of the Year at Westlake High School.
Let’s get real, Terrell’s little brother, Avieon, being the club’s first choice in the 2026 NFL Draft, albeit a steal compared to his projections, was also affected by the family influence and familiarity.
The 2021 Second Team All-Pro’s iron has sharpened the iron of the hometown WR1 since his rookie season between Julio Jones and Drake London. Think about your first day at your adult job, would you have wanted to take on one of the best wide receivers of all time? Lastly, for a cornerback room working to add depth and an influx of young talent, Terrell reigns supreme as one of the most valuable players on the team were he to go down with injury in Year 7 of his NFL career (knocks on wood).
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