Give flowers to Atlanta Falcons GM Terry Fontenot after AJ Terrell deal

When Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris spoke Monday about the additions of outside linebacker Matt Judon and safety Justin Simmons to the team, he impromptuly mentioned general manager Terry Fontenot.

“You never know,” Morris said of adding new receivers to an injury-riddled room. “Terry’s busy upstairs right now. Who knows what’s going to happen after we practice today? You might have more reports and you might ask me more questions tomorrow.”

Fontenot was clearly busy — and while the trade didn’t happen the next day, it did happen Thursday morning, when the Falcons and cornerback AJ Terrell agreed to a four-year, $81 million contract extension with $65.8 million in guarantees.

Among corners, Terrell’s contract is the second-largest and offers the most guarantees on a four-year deal in NFL history.

And in reality, extending Terrell was just the capstone to a solid eight days for Fontenot, who made two high-profile acquisitions in outside linebacker Matt Judon — via a trade with the New England Patriots — and free agent Justin Simmons before keeping Atlanta’s top corner for the foreseeable future.

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This spring, the Falcons spent significant money to overhaul their offense, which ranked 26th in the league last season.

They gave quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​a four-year, $180 million contract and added a plethora of wide receivers, with Morris noting receivers Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud and tight ends Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley — players Morris said will be “really productive” for the Falcons.

Meanwhile, Atlanta kept an eye on its future, selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick to potentially replace Cousins.

The move turned heads across the league, and most people reacted with anger toward Fontenot. But now, in hindsight, most of the pieces of the puzzle are in place.

Atlanta, in acquiring Simmons, a four-time All-Pro, and Judon, a four-time Pro Bowler, added two fit players to a team that wants to win now. Previously, it seemed like the Falcons were committed to winning in 2024 (the Cousins ​​deal alone showed that), but maybe not completely.

When he was hired in late January, Morris said Blank made his expectations for this season clear: to win.

But after free agency, the draft and even the first three weeks of training camp, Atlanta had significant questions about its secondary and defense. Injuries to safety DeMarcco Hellams and third-round rookie outside linebacker Bralen Trice narrowed the options for answers.

Then came Judon, who has 32 sacks in his last 38 games, and a day later came Simmons, who has 19 interceptions in the last four seasons.

And perhaps most importantly, the Falcons not only added top-tier football players, but also people who Morris believes will improve the locker room culture.

“You look at players, you want to add positive people,” Morris said. “You want to add people that fit your philosophy, the way you work and the way you run your business. Just talking to those guys, trying to figure out what we wanted, how they were going to fit into our football team and what it was going to look like going forward, you felt really good.”

The Falcons then extended Terrell’s contract, a deal that had been in the works for months. And at a time when many players are waiting or sending public messages to their teams, Terrell showed up to work every day confident that his future would be resolved — an ode to the trust Fontenot has built with players. Terrell also attended Atlanta’s recruiting dinner with Simmons before the signing.

Fontenot’s relationships extend beyond contracts and quick discussions. He often asks his veterans what they think about adding specific players before the Falcons make any further moves. He’s open and very communicative, said All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III, who appreciates the work Fontenot has done to add character pieces.

“Terry and the guys up there have done a great job of recruiting really good football players, but also really good people,” Bates said. “That’s what we want to be. That’s what the Atlanta Falcons are: a great player who’s consistent, dependable, but also a great person and a great teammate.”

Since arriving in January 2021, Fontenot’s tenure as general manager hasn’t been without its bumps. There have been quarterback controversies, questions about resource allocation and three straight 7-10 seasons.

But there’s also been a complete rebuild, including a salary cap overhaul, that now puts Atlanta in prime position to end a six-year playoff drought. There’s a revitalized culture, a rekindled belief and a sense of urgency to win.

And for that, Fontenot deserves his flowers – and with the way he works, he may receive more in the days to come.

“To say I’m shocked that our management has started over this way, in this form, in this manner, I’m not,” Morris said after hiring Judon. “I’m not used to it either, but I like the fact that they’re obsessed with talent acquisition and trying to make us the best version of ourselves.”