Potential off-season contract extensions for the Falcons
The Falcons’ offseason will be quite busy.
While the attention of the next three months will be on how Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris attack the quarterback position, there are numerous other roster problems that need to be attended to.
Atlanta could use an edge rusher, a cornerback, and one or more more wide receivers. The interior defensive line and offensive line may also use some strengthening. However, this offseason offers more activities.
It is necessary to activate Kyle Pitts’ fifth-year option, and I anticipate that it will. In 2025, they should consider extending the contracts of a few upcoming free agents. These three individuals are candidates for extensions:
In 2023, the Falcons’ special teams unit underperformed, and Avery Williams’s absence isn’t a coincidence. Williams is expected to return to the Falcons in 2024 and be the same player he was in 2022, despite sustaining a major injury. Williams’ injury may make it a little too soon to extend him, though.
Dalman is a cunning candidate for a contract extension. The Falcons would be smart to hold onto the interior trio of Chris Lindstrom, Matthew Bergeron, and Dalman, but he might test free agency in the upcoming offseason. The former fourth-round selection, who replaced Matt Hennessy, has advanced significantly. He’s one of the few top centers when it comes to run blocking, even though his pass protection might use some improvement.
The player that most Falcons fans think of is A.J. Terell, a former first-round selection who went on to become an All-Pro. Terell will play in 2024 during his last rookie contract year and is on his fifth year of option.
The cost of starting-caliber cornerbacks will only increase, but at the moment, the top cornerbacks in the league—Jaire Alexander, Denzel Ward, and others—earn about $20 million a year. Terrell, who has developed into one of the finest players at his position, will likely focus on that area.
Although I doubt he will completely change the landscape as Chris Lindstrom did for guards in the previous summer, Falcons supporters should anticipate a sizable contract extension and pay increase for A.J. Terrell.
