This is going to make Falcons fans nervous.
Julio Jones won’t be at Falcons training camp when it begins Thursday, holding out in hopes his contract is restructured.
The star wide receiver is frustrated with his current five-year contract and is willing to sit out the entire camp unless it’s adjusted, ESPN reported. The Falcons have told Jones they will redo the contract next year.
In doing so, Jones is risking a $40,000 fine that the Falcons can levy each day he doesn’t show up. Team management has not definitively said it would fine Jones but seems adamant that the contract will not be reworked before the season begins.
Jones has three years remaining on his contract, which includes a $10.5 million base salary this year. He could lose $617,000 each week if the hold-out lasts into the regular season.
Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas and Rams defensive end Aaron Donald are also holding out of their training camps. Star running back David Johnson ended his boycott Monday, when he reported to Cardinals camp.
Jones, a five-time Pro Bowler, already has skipped the Falcons’ voluntary offseason workouts and mandatory OTAs. He has been working out with controversial Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and in April deleted all Falcons-related posts from his Instagram account. At the time, the Falcons downplayed rumors of a rift, saying Jones wanted a “fresh start” on social media.
The Falcons picked Calvin Ridley, a speedy wide receiver out of Alabama, with the No. 26-overall pick in this year’s draft, hoping he would complement Jones. But they might have to wait a while to see them on the field together.