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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday the Atlanta Falcons are signing Mike Tomlin’s cornerback CJ Henderson.
Former top 10 cornerback CJ Henderson never played in a regular season game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His next opportunity will come with the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that the Falcons are “planning to sign” Henderson to their offseason roster, pending a physical review.
“After Pittsburgh last year and the Panthers before that, Henderson gets another shot in 2025,” Rapoport tweeted. “He picked ATL over several suitors.”
Henderson spent about two months of the 2024 season on the Steelers practice squad. His season ended on Pittsburgh’s injured reserve beginning in November.
The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Henderson at No. 9 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Ex-Steelers CB CJ Henderson Gets Next NFL Opportunity
The Jaguars drafted Henderson as a replacement for, ironically, current Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Jacksonville traded Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in October 2019.
The following offseason, Jacksonville selected Henderson in the top 10. Only one cornerback went ahead of Henderson in the 2020 draft class.
“Silky smooth boundary cornerback with mirror-and-match footwork and the agility and athleticism to stay connected to routes,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “He has NFL recovery burst and the long speed to track vertical routes downfield.
“Henderson is a fluid cornerback with ball skills and burst and has CB1 ability as a first-rounder.”
At Florida during his college career, Henderson posted 93 combined tackles, including eight tackles for loss. He also had six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and four sacks in 33 games.
The Steelers briefly signed Henderson to their active roster in October 2024. But the cornerback didn’t play in a game with Pittsburgh last season.
In March, Henderson elected free agency. He last appeared in an NFL regular season game with the Carolina Panthers during the 2023 campaign.
Henderson Joining Atlanta Falcons: Report
With the Falcons, Henderson is signing with a team that has added veteran secondary experience over the past week. Atlanta also signed former starting safety Ronnie Harrison since Week 1 of the NFL preseason.
Harrison and Henderson will each bring a veteran presence and could play on special teams in Atlanta.
Henderson should compete with Cobee Bryant, Natrone Brooks, Mike Ford Jr., Dontae Manning and Keith Taylor for one of the final roster spots with the Falcons at cornerback. Bryant is probably the front runner in that group, but the undrafted free agent rookie is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Henderson started 10 games for the Jaguars before the team traded him to the Panthers about 17 months after drafting him at No. 9 overall. Henderson played 39 games, starting 22 contests, for the Panthers from 2021-23.
He posted 128 combined tackles, including five for loss in Carolina. Henderson also had 10 pass defenses and two interceptions.
The best statistical season of his career was 2022. Henderson played in all 17 games, starting 10 of them, and registered 58 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss, six pass defenses and two interceptions.
Before joining the Steelers practice squad last September, Henderson spent training camp with the Houston Texans. He didn’t make the team’s roster to begin the season.
In 2023, Henderson played 407 defensive snaps and 55 snaps on special teams.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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