Even though the Atlanta Falcons got Michael Penix Jr. back in the starting lineup for Thursday's Week 3 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, it came at the expense of a major loss, as All-Pro corner A.J. Terrell is set to miss not just this game, but a whole lot longer after getting hurt on Sunday.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Falcons placed Terrell on IR due to the groin injury that caused him to leave the game and never return in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. And that means he's out for a minimum of four games, meaning his next chance to return is in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.
The #Falcons have another injury, as starting CB A.J. Terrell Jr. was placed on IR and they signed DL Zach Harrison to the 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/xBMKCeOl7k
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2026
And while the corresponding move was seeing Zach Harrison be signed back to the active roster in a twist most Falcons fans are happy about, it's getting overshadowed by the sadness of the Terrell news, especially given cornerback is one of the hardest positions to find consistent production at.
While the 27-year-old has struggled at points this season: the fallout is crystal clear: the Falcons aren't blessed with the luxury of cornerback depth, and this secondary is much better with him than without him--and that'll make it particularly difficult for Jeff Ulbrich's defense to stay afloat these next four weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons are going to have a tough time replacing A.J. Terrell
A.J. Terrell is best on an island, as there aren't many corners better at taking an opposing team's WR1 out of the game on a given Sunday. And this mean's he's going to miss matchups with top wideouts Christian Watson (Green Bay), Chris Olave (New Orleans), Zay Flowers (Baltimore), and Rome Odunze (Chicago)--and the players Atlanta has set to replace him won't be able to handle that lineup.
With Terrell sidelined, the Dirty Birds are investing trust in Mike Hughes to step up as the CB1 and former first-round pick C.J. Henderson taking No. 24's spot in the starting lineup on the outside--and while Hughes is a halfway-decent complimentary corner, he has no business being a CB1 and guarding wideouts like Flowers and Olave.
Meanwhile,-round rookie (and A.J.'s little brother) Avieon Terrell shares responsibilities out of the nickel with Sydney Brown until Billy Bowman Jr. returns. It seems Bowman could make his season debut as soon as this week, and if that happens, it could mean Avieon will get more looks on the outside with A.J. injured
The rookie has been solid so far, and he's versatile enough to make the in-season switch, but being a boundary corner vs. a nickel is a different game. With that in mind Avieon good at not giving up the big play, which is the exact same calling card his brother has hung his hat on these last seven years.
The depth options on the outside are undrafted rookie Malcolm DeWalt IV, veteran Mike Ford Jr. and the newly-signed Robert Longerbeam, and according to Mike Garafolo, Atlanta reportedly just signed to the active roster off the Eagles' practice squad. And while DeWalt had a good summer, none of those options inspire confidence outside of maybe Avieon--who this defense needs a lot from now.
Given how Mike Hughes and C.J. Henderson got picked apart by the Panthers last weekend, the Atlanta Falcons are going to have a tough time without A.J. Terrell for the next four-plus weeks. And it's a next-man up league, so they need someone (ideally Avieon Terrell) to help replace him--and fast.
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