Julio Jones to Renegotiate Falcons Contract Next Year

It appears as though the tension between Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons will be resolved before the new season.

The All-Pro receiver has been angling for a new contract. However, the Atlanta Falcons are unwilling to give in to Julio Jones at this time.

Julio Jones sat out the team’s offseason workouts as a form of protest. However, he has three years left on his current deal. The Atlanta Falcons are not making an extension for Jones a priority right now.

Per NFL.com, the Falcons have promised Jones that they will look at a new contract after the 2018 season.

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Jones is going into the third year of a five year contract that he signed back in 2015. The contract is worth $71.25 million and lasts until the 2020 season.

Since he is on such a strong contract already, the Atlanta falcons are prioritizing extensions for other players. DT Grady Jarrett, OT Jake Matthews and safety Ricardo Allen are all heading into the final year of their contracts.

As well as that, the Falcons could still place the franchise tag on Jones at any point in the next two years.

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It doesn’t seem to make any sense for Jones to pursue a new contract. NFL team’s don’t generally extend contracts before there is one year left on them.

However, Jones has a case to make that he is underpaid. He was voted the No. 4 overall NFL player by his peers in 2018. His contract is worth $14.25 million per season, 8th highest among receivers.

The Atlanta Falcons still don’t know if Jones will attend training camp on July 26. If he digs his heels in, it is all he can do to skip training. After that, his only step will be to be absent from NFL games for the Falcons.