After spending most, if not all, of 2024 on the negative side of the NFL salary cap, the Atlanta Falcons now find themselves with some wiggle room in excess of $12 million, which Fontenot has freed up through restructures, cuts, and contract extensions.
Atlanta previously announced its two-year, $45 million extension with starting left tackle and franchise ironman Jake Matthews, a move that freed up $8.5 million in cap space. Atlanta has been quiet about some behind-the-scenes restructuring of contracts lately.
To create more cap space, Atlanta has also restructured the contracts of right guard Chris Lindstrom and cornerback A.J. Terrell. They did so by converting portions of their salary into bonuses. Spotrac has reported that $20 million was allocated toward the positive side of the salary cap by opening $10 million a piece between Terrell and Lindstrom.
Raheem Morris, as well as Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, would rave about Lindstrom's character and how he handled his business on the field.
As for Terrell, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was the defensive coordinator when the team drafted Terrell and spoke highly of him, saying, "There aren't many people like that." A.J. Terrell fits right into that cloth of great corner you were fortunate enough to coach that can just go cover anybody with no regard or no care in the world."
The work has been put in behind the scenes by the Atlanta staff just two weeks into the league's official start of the NFL calendar year. Atlanta now finds itself sitting on the positive side of the cap, which will help add more depth going into 2025.
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