After having, what appears to be, a successful offseason so far, the Atlanta Falcons were left with two big tasks to fulfill. Both Devonta Freeman and Desmond Trufant are coming into their final years of their contract. The team-leading rusher and star cornerback both deserve extensions and the fans have been anxiously awaiting them.
For Trufant, he agreed to a five-year, $69 million extension on Saturday, per Jordan Schultz. The deal carries with it $42 million in guaranteed money.
Sources: Desmond Trufant has agreed to massive 5-year contract extension w/the #Falcons. Deal is worth $69M w/nearly $42M guaranteed.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 8, 2017
Desmond Trufant Signs Extension With The Atlanta Falcons
Desmond Trufant was highly regarded in the 2013 Draft and, after being selected with the 22nd pick, has lived up to expectations for the Falcons. Trufant came in to the league as a first-year starter and immediately made his presence known.
In his rookie season, Trufant started all 16 games and finished the season with 70 tackles, 17 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. Although he’s played on some pretty average, at best, defenses with Atlanta, Trufant has managed to earn the respect of the NFL as one of the best corners.
Unfortunately, Trufant’s season was cut short after only nine games after suffering a torn pectoral. In his nine games of 2016, Trufant had 31 tackles, two sacks, four pass deflections, an interception, and two forced fumbles.
Anytime a player suffers an injury near the end of their contract, it’s a scary situation. Speculations abounded with many believing Atlanta would seek a trade for Trufant and the idea of re-signing an injured corner seemed to dangerous for many experts. It’s a tough situation simply because you never know how a player will bounce back.
With the emergence of this young defense, 2017 could be a spectacular season for Desmond Trufant. With a pass rush finally coming together, Trufant could finally have a chance to dominate opposing receivers. After all, if you can go toe-to-toe with Julio Jones every week in practice, you can pretty much hang with anyone.
