Julio Jones wants a new contract, but he won't skip work to get one.
"I'm not going to hold out for anything," the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver said Wednesday, via ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure. "My teammates need me. I'm being selfish if I'm not here and doing what I need to do.''
Jones attended mandatory minicamp this week and indicated he will be at training camp next month. The wideout added that getting work in new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's system -- which the receiver cooed about -- is vital to the Falcons bouncing back from their dismal 6-10 season.
Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Jones sits along with a huddle of receivers who will break the bank when they eventually sign long-term deals, including Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and A.J. Green.
Jones, however, said he's not concerned about his contract status.
"Whatever they feel like I'm deserving of ... I'm just here,'' Jones said. "I'm just trying to be the best teammate. I'm just trying to play. My thing is to play ball.
"(Agent) Jimmy Sexton, he's going to negotiate that with (general manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and (Falcons owner) Mr. (Arthur) Blank. That's the side they handle. My side, I've got to handle on the football field. I've got to keep showing up every day and putting in work.''
Jones' comments will certainly be taken in the context of Bryant and Thomas skipping mandatory minicamp in search of a new deal.
The situations, however, aren't equivalent. Both Bryant and Thomas have been franchise tagged after already playing out their rookie contracts (also, with Jones under contract he's subject to fines for skipping mandatory workouts, while Bryant and Thomas haven't signed their tenders).
If nothing comes of a long-term extension this season for Jones, he might feel differently if slapped with the tag next offseason. Or maybe he'll continue to take a team-first approach. The Falcons hope to not find out.
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