Julio Jones gambled the Atlanta Falcons would stay true to their word and give him a contract extension, showing up to camp and not creating an distraction as talks were ongoing. The Falcons are now holding up their end of the deal.
After reports broke early Saturday that the two sides were finalizing an agreement on a contract extension, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that an agreement has been struck. The Falcons confirmed the news of a three-year extension later on Saturday.
Atlanta and Pro-Bowl WR Julio Jones just reached agreement on a landmark three-year, $66 million extension that includes $66 million guaranteed - $64 million of which is due at signing, sources tell @mortreport and me. It ties together the two sides for the next five seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2019
The percentage of guaranteed money in the reported deal shatters the previous non-QB record.
On Julio Jones’ three-year extension, 97 percent of the deal is guaranteed at signing; the previous high guarantee at signing for a non-QB was Trey Flowers at 74 percent.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2019
While both sides have been extremely civil and positive throughout these negotiations, Jones did seemingly make a push publicly to get a deal done before the start of the regular season this week. He was reportedly adding a little different at practice on Thursday and kept his status for Sunday's opener against the Vikings vague saying, "I don't know."
With a new deal in hand, Jones will suit up for Atlanta in Week 1.
Jones is set to be the league's highest-paid receiver annually, making more than New Orleans Saints' Michael Thomas (five years, $96.25 million, $19.25 million average annual value), Cleveland Browns' Odell Beckham (five years, $90 million, $18 million AAV) and Oakland Raiders' Antonio Brown (three years, $50.125 million, $16,708,833 AAV).
The contract extension is well deserved for Jones, who is the league's all-time leader in receiving yards per game (96.7) and is averaging 1,599 yards over the past five seasons. During that stretch, he's led the NFL in receiving yards per game three times, yards twice, and catches once.
Since Jones entered the league in 2011, he has 698 catches for 10,731 yards (15.4 yards per catch) and 51 touchdowns in his first eight seasons. Jones, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time first team All-Pro, led the NFL in receiving yards twice (2015, 2018) and the league in catches (2015). Jones had 113 catches for 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns last season, averaging 14.8 yards per catch.
Jones had 9,618 receiving yards through his first 100 games, the most for any receiver in NFL history. He became the fastest wide receiver to reach 10,000 career receiving yards in NFL history in just 104 games, surpassing Calvin Johnson's previous record (115 games). Jones has 47 100-yard receiving games through his first eight seasons, the most in NFL history (Randy Moss previously held the record at 45). He has the 14 games with 10-plus catches and 100-plus yards in his career, tied for sixth in NFL history.
More history-making moments will come for Jones in a Falcons uniform as this deal will take him through the prime of his career.
