Falcons receiver Julio Jones reportedly will skip voluntary offseason workouts as he tries to get an adjustment to a deal that currently pays him far less than other less talented and accomplished receivers. If he doesn’t get the adjustment, what will he do?
With a contract that runs through 2020, Jones could have a hard time getting the team to rip up the deal and give him a new one now. As a result, he may have to take a real stand, making it clear that he won’t show up for anything until his $14.25 million annual average gets closer to market value that his current spot at No. 8 on the receiver pay scale.
It’s also possible that Jones wants to get the team’s attention not because he’s $2.75 million per year behind the top of the receiver market but because he’s averaging less than 50 cents on the dollar in comparison to Matt Ryan’s new deal. From Jones’ perspective, seeing Ryan get $30 million per year while getting only $14.25 million himself may seem out of whack.
However it plays out, Jones surely knows that now is the time to do something, especially with his 30th birthday looming in early 2019. Ryan, who already is on his third contract, may end up with a fourth. For Jones, the next one may be the last one, and if he waits three more years, the next one may not be nearly as close to the top of the market as it would be if he were to get a new deal now.