The Atlanta Falcons are “confident” they will re-sign wide receiver Julio Jones to a new long-term extension before training camp begins next month, ESPN reported Tuesday.
The team reports for camp on July 22.
Jones has two years remaining on his deal, which owes him $9.6 million in 2019 and $11.4 million in 2020. He signed a contract adjustment as training camp opened last July — giving him $4.4 million, including $2.9 million from his 2019 salary, up front — and the team reportedly promised to do a full extension this offseason. That came after Jones missed the Falcons’ entire offseason program and threatened to hold out into training camp.
The 30-year-old again missed voluntary workouts this summer, but he showed for mandatory minicamp. He told reporters in April he isn’t concerned with being the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.
Bleacher Report reported in late March the Falcons and Jones were closing in on a four- or five-year deal averaging $20 million annually, but nothing has developed since.
In his eighth season, Jones is coming off of his sixth Pro Bowl selection — fifth in a row — after catching 113 passes for a league-high 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He remains the NFL’s all-time leader in career receiving yards per game (96.7).
