FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The hamstring injury cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. sustained in the Atlanta Falcons' Week 2 prime-time win against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday may keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Terrell will not practice Wednesday, and the team will monitor him throughout the week heading into Sunday's NFC South matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
"I'd say week-to-week," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday. "See how it goes. We'll get a good feel for all that stuff as it goes. Obviously, those hamstrings are tricky. You don't want to rush those things back, but you don't want to shortchange a good player, either."
Terrell went down with the injury with 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game as the third quarter began. Reserve cornerback Dee Alford took his place.
Alford ultimately played 20 defensive snaps after Terrell's departure. Terrell took the previous 27 to make up the total defensive count of 47 snaps. Terrell made three tackles. Alford recorded two.
"(Alford) got a chance to finish it for us," Morris said. "He did a nice job, had a knockdown pass and some really good tackles."
That doesn't mean Alford will slide into a starting role this week. Morris said the Falcons will "definitely make it a competition" in practice.
Mike Hughes is the starter opposite Terrell, with Billy Bowman Jr. at the nickel position. Otherwise, the Falcons have Alford, Natrone Brooks, Clark Phillips III and Mike Ford Jr. as cornerback options on their active roster. Atlanta also has cornerbacks C.J. Henderson, Cobee Bryant and Keith Taylor on the practice squad who could be elevated for game day.
Among the reserves, only Alford has taken defensive snaps through the Falcons' two games so far.
"We want to have those guys go out there and compete at a very high level this week in order to figure out who gets the best opportunity," Morris said. "But I always want to make it as defined as I can, right? We got Clark coming off the (rib) injury he had in the preseason, trying to get back into the mix; great opportunity for him. Obviously, we picked up C.J. Henderson. Obviously, we have our Swiss Army knife in Natrone Brooks, playing safety, playing nickel, playing outside. So, all of those guys have an opportunity to go compete for helmets, compete to get on the grass to help us win. It is something that we look forward to doing."
The Falcons-Panthers game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
Relive the Sunday Night Football Week 2 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, where Leonard Floyd recorded his first sack as a Falcon, while Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus each recorded their first career sacks
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 looks on during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 sacks the quarterback during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 sacks the quarterback during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 sacks the quarterback during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 reacts after a sack during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 reacts after a sack during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus #54 reacts after a sack during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 prepares to rush before the snap during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Leonard Floyd #56 makes a sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 reacts after his first career sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 reacts after his first career sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 reacts after his first career sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 reacts after his first career sack during the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Jay Bendlin/Atlanta Falcons)
Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Jalon Walker #11 and defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro #98 react after a sack during the second quarter of the Week 2 Game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Atlanta Falcons)
