Julio Jones got the contract out of the way the day before, but the football part of the equation was something other than rich Sunday.
After signing an extension that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league, the Falcons star had a lackluster day in a loss to the Vikings.
He was able to talk about generational wealth and securing his family, after the long-discussed contract which was promised by owner Arthur Blank.
“I had some peace of mind,” Jones said , via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I talked to Mr. Blank. Just talking about how appreciative I am of him. The love I have for the organization and things like that. That’s out the way now. It’s more on us now and getting ready to play football.”
Jones had just six catches for 31 yards and a touchdown, dealing with the reality of the kind of attention that comes with that kind of paycheck he got Saturday, which averages $22 million a year.
“They had two players over him basically the entire game,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “That makes it tough. They had hard inside leverage from (Xavier) Rhodes and a safety over the top. It creates other opportunities for other guys.”
That didn’t come through for the Falcons, but Jones said he just had to: “Make plays when it’s time to make plays when our number is called, things like that. We didn’t do that today.”
They’re going to have to figure it out, and quickly, as that kind of attention on Jones is neither new nor likely to change.