After parting ways with head coach Raheem Morris and GM Terry Fontenot, the Atlanta Falcons may not have been in a position to look down on some of their NFC South rivals. In just one offseason, the Matt Ryan and Kevin Stefanski regime has the arrow pointing upward.
After ridding themselves of the Kirk Cousins contract, the Falcons aren't being weighed down by a team that prevents them from adding prime talent elsewhere. The same can't be said for some of their division foes, however, namely the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers following their spending sprees in free agency.
Bleacher Report ranked the Bucs' deal for wide receiver Chris Godwin as the second-worst contract in football today, with only the eye-watering Deshaun Watson deal outpacing it. Even though he hasn't played a game for the Panthers yet, Jaelan Phillips' four-year deal rounded out the Top 10. Atlanta, meanwhile, was not represented in this dubious list.
Falcons can laugh as Chris Godwin, Jaelan Phillips contracts ranked in NFL's worst
Godwin, who signed a three-year, $66 million contract with Tampa Bay before the 2025 season, now has the mammoth task of being a No. 1 wide receiver following the departure of Mike Evans. With Godwin playing just 16 games over the last two years, that might be difficult to achieve.
Phillips, who has never topped the 8.5 sacks he had as a rookie and mustered just five sacks last year following an Achilles injury, is not a bad player. Paying him $30 million per year, however, makes him seem like an elite pass rusher, and Carolina's decision to splash the cash could come back to haunt them if he flatlines.
The contract most likely to age poorly on Atlanta's roster is AJ Terrell, who will soon be getting paid close to $30 million as a cornerback. Even Drake London's deal isn't outrageous, given the market. Once Bijan Robinson gets his mega deal, the Falcons will have many of their heavy hitters locked in for the long haul. Even Jake Mathews' AAV is not egregious for someone who never gets hurt and has been a solid starter for over a decade.
The Falcons have the talent needed to take ownership of the NFC South if they get even average quarterback play, and with some of their rivals knee-capping themselves with contracts that continue to look worse as time goes on gave Atlanta an opening they can use to attack.
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