Through the early portion of the offseason workouts for the Atlanta Falcons, star wide receiver Julio Jones has been notably absent from the practice field. This has now bled over to the mandatory portion of the workouts.
In response to that, the Falcons have expressed no real concern at this point about where things stand between them and Jones. Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan added another wrinkle to the situation, stating that the All-Pro wideout will be at his passing camp next month, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.
Matt Ryan said the Falcons will get together for a passing camp in July and Julio Jones is expected to be there
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) June 13, 2018
Jones not attending the Falcons' organized workouts is a telling sign of where things are at between both sides. What should be noted is that both Ryan and Jones have built a strong relationship on and off the field over the last several years in Atlanta, participating in various events together over that span.
All of this appears to be centered on his current contract situation, as he reportedly wants a slight uptick in his salary. Jones is currently in the third year of his five-year, $71.2 million deal that has roughly $39.2 million remaining. He is scheduled to make roughly over $14 million for the 2018 campaign; that salary makes him the eighth highest-paid player at his position.
Over the last few months, several other receivers have received more lucrative annual salaries, such as Sammy Watkins, DaVante Adams, Mike Evans, and Jarvis Landry. This is likely why Jones believes he deserves a raise.
The longer this situation persists, the more attention it will continue to draw around the organization. With both sides showing no internal conflict because of it, things could be resolved at some point ahead of the 2018 season.
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