ATLANTA — With just one day to go before the 2019 season opener, the Atlanta Falcons announced that All-Pro receiver Julio Jones has agreed to terms on a new contract extension.
Earlier in the afternoon, the team said on Twitter that they were finalizing the extension.
That tweet along with an article from the Falcons' official website sourced a report from the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
According to Pelissero, the multi-year extension would make Jones the league's highest-paid receiver.
He says there are minor issues still be worked out between the two parties, but that the deal is all but done, allowing Falcons fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Pelissero goes on in a second tweet to say that the extension would reportedly pay Jones about $22 million annually, placing him far above other receivers in the NFL.
The extension is reportedly a three-year extension worth a total of $66 million. Jones currently has two years on his current deal.
According to ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, $64 million of the deal, or about 97 percent, would be due at signing. This eclipses the previous high guaranteed for a non-quarterback, which went to defensive end Trey Flowers when he signed with the Detroit Lions.
Flowers walked away from the bargaining table in that negotiation with 74 percent of his money upfront.
Last season, Jones was the league's leading receiver with 1,677 yards and eight TDs on 113 catches. He's the only receiver in NFL history with multiple 250-yard games and he has topped that mark three separate times over the course of his career.
The Falcons open the new season on Sunday in Minnesota against the Vikings.
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