Falcons sign two defensive starters to multiyear contract extensions
FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons announced contract extensions for a couple of starters Friday morning, inking defensive end Cameron Thomas to a three-year deal and cornerback C.J. Henderson to a two-year agreement.
Thomas’ contract comes with $13 million guaranteed and is worth up to $33 million, a team source told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday. Henderson’s deal is reportedly worth around $11 million guaranteed and up to $20 million, according to ESPN.
Both players have enjoyed breakout seasons.
Thomas, 26, has started all nine games. He has only two sacks, but he leads the team with 12 quarterback hits, and his 26 quarterback pressures rank No. 30 leaguewide.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder also became the team’s NFL Players Association representative earlier this season.
“You talk about a guy that just — he demonstrates what we love about this game every single day,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said Thursday. “The toughness, the strain, the effort, the relentless effort. And then the high-level execution, the consistency.
“If there’s a guy that we can really lean on, on our defense, he’s one of those human beings. I’ve been just so overwhelmed with what he’s brought to us, and it’s been awesome.”
Henderson has rejuvenated his career this season. A first-round pick in 2020 who’s bounced around practice squads and struggled finding a role in recent seasons, he’s started his past six appearances at corner and flourished.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Henderson has been targeted 47 times but allowed only 26 receptions for 256 yards and two touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats.
Ulbrich said earlier this season he thinks it’s fair to say the 28-year-old is starting to live up to his top 10 draft billing.
“He’s pretty special,” Ulbrich said. “For a corner to be as big as he is, he feels kind of like a safety when you get up on him to move and to redirect.”
The Falcons are slated to have the most cap space in the NFL next spring, and they’ve already locked down several key pieces on both sides of the ball. Henderson and Thomas join running back Bijan Robinson, receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts and left guard Matthew Bergeron as players to receive contract extensions since June.