Julio Jones gets Five Year Extension

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has officially signed a five-year extension worth $71.25 million dollars with $47 million guaranteed.

Jones said this in regards to his new deal:

“I didn’t have any doubt in my mind that we were going to get it done,” Jones said. “Whether it was this year or next year, we were going to get a deal done. I want to be a Falcon for the rest of my career, and Mr. Blank let it be known that he wanted me here as well.”

Jones has been one of the best wide receivers in the game, as last season he caught for 1,593 yards, a Falcons’ team record. Last season, he was named to his second Pro Bowl, while earning All-Pro honors for the first time in his career.

This deal is great for both sides of the deal, as the Falcons get their top receiver locked up for the next five years and Jones finally gets the payday that he deserves, and is now the second highest paid wide receiver in the league, behind Detroit’s Calvin Johnson ($132 million over eight years).

In addition to being the second highest paid receiver, the Falcons owe him the most guaranteed money out of any current receiver contract.

Jones is going to be used heavily in Kyle Shanahan’s new offensive system, as this year, he will be working at several different receiving positions instead of just one.

This deal will open up the doors for Bengals star receiver A.J. Green. Green, who was drafted two picks before Jones in the 2011 NFL Draft, has also proved to be a top five receiver in the NFL.

Green is about to enter the final year on his rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year. He has been trying to get an extension with Cincinnati, but they have had trouble agreeing on the terms.

Now with Jones getting his payday, we will most likely see Green get his next, a deal which will be very similar to the one Jones got.

The Falcons did a great job in keeping their best receiver, and with that out of the way, they can get back to preparing for the upcoming season.