Atlanta native A.J. Terrell can help Falcons win first Super Bowl on his new contract

This is exactly what Dirty Bird Nation was hoping for! It was only a matter of time before logic prevailed. With the Atlanta Falcons extending their star cornerback A.J. Terrell on Thursday, it only goes to show that this team is firmly in win-now mode. They have one of the most complete teams in the NFC. Being able to retain essentially a homegrown product for the next five seasons is massive.

On Thursday morning, Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network reported that Terrell and the Falcons agreed to a four-year extension that will run through the 2028 NFL season. He will be getting $81 million over the life of the extension, with $65.8 million of that being fully guaranteed. This makes him the second highers paid cornerback in NFL history, a huge win for him and his representation with Athletes First.

With Terrell being a David Mulugheta and Trevor Smith client, this makes Atlanta a marquee destination for players potentially wanting to come aboard in free agency in years to come. Another Mulugheta/Athletes First client on the Falcons is tight end Kyle Pitts, who was the Falcons' first-round pick the year after Terrell went in the top 20 out of Clemson in the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a great sign.

Arthur Blank may have paid a premium for a strong player, but Atlanta is the perfect place for Terrell.

This is all about keeping the Atlanta native and former Westlake star in Flowery Branch going forward.

A.J. Terrell extension is sign Atlanta Falcons are going for it this season

Terrell may be soft-spoken, but he is a leader on this defense. He, along with fellow Atlanta area native and former Clemson star Grady Jarrett, will be tone-setters at their respective levels of the defense. It is one that picked up Jessie Bates III from Cincinnati last year, dealt for Matthew Judon from New England last week and just signed Justin Simmons away from teams like Denver and New Orleans.

Even though I had my reservations about Raheem Morris bringing Jimmy Lake with him over from Los Angeles to be their new defensive coordinator, Atlanta now has at minimum five player on its defense that the opposing offense needs to account for on every single play. Terrell may not light up the stats sheet, but he is a technician out there as a cover corner, just like what Desmond Trufant used to be.

To me, this extension signifies that the Falcons are going for it under this new regime. Owner Arthur Blank has invested heavily into this team and into this city. He has finally empowered the right head coach to lead this team in Morris. Blank loves to take care of the guys who take care of him. Terrell is as good of an ambassador on this team. He wants to stay put, and he wants to win a Super Bowl here.

Entering the 2024 NFL season, Atlanta is one only 12 franchises that have never hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. In fact, they are the oldest sports franchise in the North American big four that has not won its league yet. The Falcons are older than the likes of the the Buffalo Sabres, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Indiana Pacers and the San Diego Padres. In time, this franchise is going to win one.

It may not be this year, next, but Atlanta is giving itself the best shot at being an NFC playoff fixture.