Training camp for the Atlanta Falcons begins in twelve days and star wide receiver Julio Jones said Monday he will not hold out for a new contract.
“Mr. Blank gave us his word,” Jones told TMZ Sports. “That’s golden. … [Blank’s] word is that it’s going to get done. … There’s no stress on my end. I’m not thinking about it.
“[Blank] makes it easy for me to go out and just work every day and not have one of those situations where there’s a holdout or anything like that.”
Falcons brass has been vociferous about saying that they want to get Jones a new contract, and Blank has said he will ensure Jones will become a “Falcon for life.”
Jones has two years remaining on a five-year, $71 million deal he signed in 2015, but the prevailing belief is that he will have a new contract before the season begins.
Last year, Jones held out from camps and practices before the Falcons gave him with a small pay raise and promised him that they would work on something ahead of the 2019 season.
Jones has two years left on his contract worth $9.6 million and $11.426 million, respectively. According to OverTheCap, wide receivers Brandin Cooks of the Los Angeles Rams, Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings, Sammy Watkins of the Kansas City Chiefs, Davante Adams of the Green Bay Packers and Stefon Diggs of the Vikings currently make more money on an annual basis than Jones.
