It has been in the works for some time now, but the Atlanta Falcons finally pulled the trigger. The team announced on Saturday that it has signed Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant to a five-year contract extension.
TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUU is #InBrotherhood.
We have agreed to terms on a 5-year contract extension with @DesmondTrufant. pic.twitter.com/RxMHmPGthO
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 8, 2017
According to a report from the Huffington Post, the deal is said to be worth $69 million with $42 million in guarantees.
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
That’s a whole heck of a lot of cash for the former first-round pick. But Trufant has proven himself more than worth elite cornerback pay.
Despite missing the final seven games of last season with a shoulder injury, Trufant has consistently shown himself to be among the top young cornerbacks in the NFL.
The 26-year-old former Washington standout has started all 57 games in which he’s appeared in his four NFL seasons, recording 48 passes defended, seven interceptions and three forced fumbles during that span.
Atlanta sorely missed Trufant in the second half of last season and throughout its run to the Super Bowl. It finished the 2016 campaign having yielded the fifth-most passing yards in the NFL and a 92.5 quarterback rating.
If the details of Trufant’s contract are true, he is now the fifth highest-paid cornerback in the NFL in terms of average annual salary. Not bad at all.