Raheem Morris Gives Injury Update on Falcons' CB A.J. Terrell

Atlanta Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell injured his hamstring late in the first half of the Falcons' Week 2 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. He didn’t return to the game, and last week, head coach Raheem Morris said that the corner is considered “week-to-week”.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Morris said last week. “Obviously, those hamstrings are tricky. You don’t want to rush those things back, but you don’t want to shortchange a great player either.”

Ultimately, the Falcons chose not to rush Terrell back onto the field. He didn’t play in Atlanta’s Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers. On Wednesday, Morris was asked about the status of Terrell ahead of the Falcons' Week 4 home matchup with the Washington Commanders.

“He’s still week-to-week, you know, obviously the hamstring, so we’ll see. He’s hopeful, I’m hopeful… But we’ll get a chance to look at him this week as well. [He] hasn’t been at practice yet this week, so I don’t know.” Morris said.

The Falcons also have the luxury of an early Week 5 bye. If Atlanta decides Terrell isn’t ready, they could sit him this week, giving the star cornerback an additional week of rest. By returning after the bye, he would have nearly a full month, 28 days, to recover, while only missing two games.

Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who was 15th in the NFL in yards and second in touchdowns in 2024, is questionable for Sunday’s matchup, which may play a hand in whether or not the Falcons want to put Terrell back out on the field. Morris also loved what he saw out of cornerback Dee Alford last week, who filled in for the injured Terrell.

“Dee Alford was absolutely amazing last week,” Morris said in Wednesday’s presser. “He went out, he competed, he played at a very high level.”

Alford struggled in 2024, with Pro Football Focus (PFF) citing him as the fourth most targeted corner in the league last season. Quarterbacks completed 72% of their passes when targeting Alford.

However, through six quarters of football this season, Alford has fared much better. He has been targeted seven times and has only given up two receptions for 15 total yards, and quarterbacks have a 39.6 passer rating when targeting him. Alford did have a pass interference called against him on Sunday, which Morris said was very “questionable”.

With Alford playing well, McLauin’s status in doubt, and the bye week looming, the Falcons could play it safe with Terrell and keep him out another week.

However, sitting at 1-2 and coming off a blowout loss to the Panthers, the Falcons don’t have the luxury of losing many more games. With head coach Raheem Morris hopeful that Terrell can play on Sunday, a very important decision looms ahead.