The Falcons and Pro Bowl cornerback Desmond Trufant have agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension.
For the past two months, GM Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn have been adamant in saying that re-signing Trufant would be Atlanta's top offseason priority.
"We are really happy to be able to get this extension done," said Dimitroff. "Trufant has proven to be a valuable leader to our team, and embodies every trait that Coach Quinn and I are looking for from players that are a part of our brotherhood. Trufant has improved each year and we believe his best ball is still in front of him. We knew this extension was going to be a component to our offseason plan and I am excited with the way we have been able to execute our entire plan as we have built our roster."
In four seasons with the Falcons, Trufant has started 48 games, posting 213 tackles, seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 53 passes defensed and three sacks, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015.
Trufant's extension ensures that he and cornerback Robert Alford – who the Falcons signed to a four-year contract extension in December—will play alongside one another for the foreseeable future.
Dimitroff and Quinn have had success in executing their free agency plan, one that emphasized retaining their players with expiring contracts. Atlanta has now re-signed or extended nine players dating back to last season: T Ryan Schraeder, TE Levine Toilolo, S/LB Kemal Ishmael, LB LaRoy Reynolds, DE Courtney Upshaw, QB Matt Schaub, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Alford and Trufant.
