Former Jaguars CB C.J. Henderson signed a two-year, $20 million contract extension with the Atlanta Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport.
“The Falcons aren’t done, also agreeing to terms on a 2-year extension for CB CJ Henderson worth up to $20M with $11M guaranteed, per me and Mike Garafolo,” Rapoport wrote. “Deal done by agents Jon Perzley and Dan Scardigno.”
Jaguars Drafted C.J. Henderson in 2020 NFL Draft’s First Round
Drafted by the Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft as the No. 9 overall pick out of Florida, Henderson came to Jacksonville with massive CB1 expectations on him. Since they had just traded Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and A.J. Bouye in March 2020, the then GM Dave Caldwell and HC Doug Marrone drafted Henderson on a fully guaranteed four-year deal. $20.5 million rookie deal.
In his NFL debut against the Indianapolis Colts, Henderson looked every bit like the CB1 the Jaguars expected. He logged five tackles, intercepted Philip Rivers (returning it 22 yards), and broke up three passes, including a fourth-down deflection on T.Y. Hilton, to help seal a 27-20 upset win.
However, his slide came equally quickly. Just three weeks into the season, Henderson injured his shoulder but still tried to play through it. That’s when the Jaguars went down a 15 loss spiral, and finished 1-15.
In Week 10, he landed on IR with a groin injury, ending his rookie season after eight starts. He also underwent offseason labrum surgery on the shoulder, forcing the Jaguars to reconsider their pick.
Then came the historic Urban Meyer coaching overhaul, and one of his first targets was Henderson. Jacksonville fired Caldwell and replaced him with Meyer. Meyer initially called Henderson an “integral part” of the defense in March 2021 during his shoulder rehab, his patience was already running thin, so was the front office’s.
They signed Shaquill Griffin in free agency shortly after and used the No. 33 overall pick (first selection of Round 2) on Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell.
As for Henderson, the lingering issues still kept him limited. Meyer had quietly put him on the trade block by August 2021.
Jaguars Traded Henderson in 2022 to Panthers
After giving him two starts, the Jaguars traded Henderson and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers — who had just lost rookie corner Jaycee Horn to a broken foot, in exchange for tight end Dan Arnold and a 2022 third-round pick.
He spent two years with the Panthers before having brief stints with the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he didn’t put up any stats, before finally landing with the Falcons in 2025.
“It’s been a fun journey with CJ because when he got here, obviously, he had a very well-known past in this league,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich explained, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “To help him start to reinvent himself here, it brings me a ton of joy because he’s just such an amazing young man. I’m excited for every opportunity he gets and every opportunity to show this league exactly who he is now, today.”
The move was one of two extensions Atlanta finalized on Friday, alongside a new three-year deal for defensive end Cameron Thomas.
Jaguars Former First-Round Bust Signs $20M Extension With Falcons