The Atlanta Falcons will be without top cornerback A.J. Terrell for at least the next four games after placing him on injured reserve Tuesday with the groin injury he suffered in Week 2.
The move turns what had been a short-week availability question into a multi-game absence for Atlanta’s secondary. Terrell left Sunday’s loss to Carolina after being evaluated for a concussion and then diagnosed with a groin injury. He did not participate in Monday’s walkthrough estimate, and the Falcons have now moved him to injured reserve ahead of Thursday night’s game at Green Bay.
What changed with A.J. Terrell’s injury?
Atlanta entered the week listing Terrell as a non-participant because of the groin issue, but there was not yet a firm timetable. Tuesday’s injured-reserve transaction supplies that timeline: Terrell must miss at least four games before he can return to the active roster.
NFL.com included the move in its Tuesday league roundup, while Falcons-focused reporting also confirmed the transaction. That means Atlanta will face the Packers without its No. 1 corner and will have to plan beyond Week 3 rather than simply manage a one-game absence.
Atlanta’s secondary now has to reset without its top corner
Terrell has been the most established player in the Falcons’ cornerback room, so his absence changes matchups as well as depth. C.J. Henderson stepped into a larger role after Terrell exited against Carolina, and Mike Hughes is also expected to carry a heavier coverage burden while Terrell is sidelined.
The timing is especially difficult because Atlanta is operating on a short week before visiting Green Bay. The Falcons already had several players on the Week 3 injury report, and there is little practice time available to rework coverage responsibilities before Thursday night.
Atlanta has been dealing with roster churn elsewhere as well. FSN previously covered the Falcons placing Da’Shawn Hand on injured reserve and adding Khalil Herbert and Drake Jackson, another example of the team having to make early-season personnel adjustments around injuries.
The Terrell absence raises the pressure on the pass rush
When a defense loses a top outside corner, the front four often becomes even more important. Faster pressure can reduce the amount of time replacement defensive backs have to hold up in coverage, while a clean opposing pocket can expose depth issues on the back end.
Atlanta promoted defensive lineman Zach Harrison from the practice squad to the active roster Tuesday, according to the NFL transaction roundup. That move was separate from Terrell’s placement on injured reserve, but it gives the Falcons another front-seven option as they prepare for a Green Bay offense that can stress defenses vertically and outside the numbers.
Week 3 will test Atlanta’s replacement plan immediately
The Falcons do not have the luxury of easing into life without Terrell. Green Bay is next, followed by at least three more games in which Terrell will be unavailable under injured-reserve rules.
Atlanta’s broader Week 3 story has already included a quarterback change. FSN covered Cooper Rush starting in Week 2 while Michael Penix Jr. remained unavailable; Penix is now expected to start Thursday. The offense may be changing quarterbacks at the same moment the defense is adjusting to the loss of its best corner.
What comes next for Terrell and the Falcons?
The minimum four-game IR absence does not guarantee Terrell will return as soon as he becomes eligible. His actual return will depend on how the groin injury responds to treatment and when Atlanta believes he can resume full football activity without creating a setback risk.
For now, the practical impact is clear: the Falcons must build their next month of defensive plans without Terrell and find a stable outside-corner combination capable of surviving a difficult stretch of the schedule.