Getty Julio Jones will reportedly miss the beginning of training camp, due to a stalemate over his contract.
Julio Jones, the star wide receiver for the Falcons, will not be present at the beginning of training camp. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported on the matter, confirming that the team was “aware of his mindset” at the time.
Mortensen tweeted, “Julio Jones does not plan to report to Falcons on schedule Thursday without an adjustment to his contract, which has three years remaining, per league sources. He is set to make $10.5 million in 2018. The team is aware of his mindset at this time.”
Julio Jones does not plan to report to Falcons on schedule Thursday without an adjustment to his contract, which has three years remaining, per league sources. He is set to make $10.5 million in 2018. The team is aware of his mindset at this time.
The dispute between Jones and the front office of the Falcons reportedly began when Jones and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, were informed that he would not be getting a new contract.
His current contract with the Falcons is one he signed in 2015 for $71 million: this included a $12 million signing bonus, $47 million guaranteed, and an average base salary of $10.5 million. However, given that Jones is not set to earn a roster bonus for the next three years, he will actually be making approximately $3 million less than he was making in 2016.
According to AJC, the Falcons have not budgeted for renegotiation for the 2018 offseason, and were instead prioritizing contract extensions for left tackle Jake Matthews, Free Safety Ricardo Allen, and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
Training camp for the Falcons begins this Friday. If Jones does hold out for training camp, he could be fined up to $40,000 a day.
Jones’ stalemate with the Falcons comes in the wake of Brandin Cooks’ five year, $80 million extension contract, which will make him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the league.
Of their conversations with Jones, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in a statement released in a statement following Jones’ decision to skip the mandatory camp, “We have been in contact with Julio and his representation. We will not discuss those conversations publicly except to say we feel they have been productive and constructive. We understand the concerns and thoughts from their perspective. Although not ideal, Julio informed us today he would not be attending minicamp. We have much respect for him and what he means to our team, our city and our fans.”
Currently, Jones’ salary places him as the 9th highest paid wide receiver in the league. Comparably, Antonio Brown, the wide receiver for the Steelers, earns the most at $17 million a year. Jones has yet to make a public statement on his decision to miss the beginning of training camp.
