Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones will not report for the start of training camp in hopes that the team will rework his deal, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Jones signed a five-year, $71 million contract in 2015 that included a $12 million signing bonus and $47 million guaranteed, but now he's looking for a more lucrative contract.
Jones, 29, still has three years remaining on his current deal which will pay him $10.5 million in the upcoming season as well as $12.5 million in 2019 and $11.4 million in 2020. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Falcons told Jones they have not budgeted for a renegotiation this offseason and are focused on contract extensions for defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, left tackle Jake Matthews and free safety Ricardo Allen.
The Falcons are set to host their first practice on Friday - Jones could be fined up to $40,000 for each day he misses during the holdout.
Last season, the star wideout ranked second in receiving yards with 1,444, trailing only Pittsburgh Steelers star Antonio Brown. Jones also ranked ninth in receptions (88), although he only found the endzone three times during the season. As a team, the Falcons are coming off a 10-6 season in which they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
https://twitter.com/_/status/1021733694850166789
https://twitter.com/_/status/1021745328788303872
