Atlanta Falcons Made Their Position Clear to Julio Jones
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons have made it clear they will not be giving Julio Jones a new contract this season. Did the team make the right decision and will this end Julio’s holdout?
Julio Jones holding out has been the story of the Atlanta Falcons off-season. You would hope that story has come to its end with the Falcons reportedly telling Jones there will be no new contract this season.
There is a lot to unpack with this news with the biggest question being will this end Julio’s holdout? For the receiver, there seems to be no leverage left unless he willing to become a huge distraction to his team.
Jones has three years left on his contract, the Falcons focusing on paying other players right now, is the move to make.
Whether he is happy or not Julio is under contract for three seasons and agreed to the terms of the deal. He isn’t a rookie who has outplayed his deal, he signed a contract with all of the leverage a deal at the time making him one of the highest paid receivers in the League.
His contract may have devolved as other receivers have passed him, but Jones had to expect this signing a long-term deal. Holding the Falcon’s feet to the fire by holding out was a head-scratching move considering he made the decision to sign his contract.
Demanding more money would essentially demand one of Julio’s teammates won’t get paid. The Falcons have informed Julio they will revisit contract talks at the end of this season.
While I am pro-player in a League where the owners are the true winners this move isn’t a good look for Jones or the Falcons. Jones is getting his money and will demand at least one more top payout.
There is also the fact the Falcons have preached “Brotherhood” and how close they are as teammates. So your best player misses mandatory camp demanding more money leaving another one of his teammates unpaid.
I don’t like the move by Jones even a little bit and the response from the Falcons is the right one. Jones is under contract for three more seasons. He will have to remain patient if he wants to be paid more.
The ball is now in Julio’s court. Will he decide to holdout and further the divide or end his protest and focus on the season to come? That is a question only Jones can answer though I suspect he is unlikely to hold out any longer.
Two small side notes from this is the fact it is good news for Jake Matthews and Grady Jarret who are both due for long-term deals in the near future.