Julio Jones’ imminent departure from Atlanta and the drama surrounding disgruntled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers have been the NFL’s two main talking points of late. While Rodgers and Jones have been soaking up the headlines, a situation of similar gravity has quietly unfolded in the desert, where three-time Pro Bowler Chandler Jones and the Cardinals, his team of the past five seasons, apparently aren’t seeing eye to eye.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, Jones, despite his home’s proximity to the Cardinals’ practice facility in Tempe, has not taken part in any of the team’s offseason work, suggesting the veteran pass-rusher is holding out for a new contract. The Syracuse alum led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2019 while registering a franchise-record 19 sacks, two more than Jones had when he led the league in 2017. Jones is due $15.5 million this upcoming season (his last under contract), a reasonable figure for a 31-year-old, particularly coming off a biceps injury that limited him to only five games in 2020. Still, the former Patriots first-round pick thinks he deserves a raise, or at least the courtesy of a new contract with more guaranteed money.
While Jones has said nothing publicly and could show up at the Cardinals facility tomorrow for all we know, it’s easy to see where his resentment would come from after Arizona rolled out the red carpet for both DeAndre Hopkins (the recipient of a two-year, $54.5-million extension last summer) and newcomer J.J. Watt, whose two-year, $28-million deal includes $23 million in guarantees. Now a distant 12th among NFL edge rushers in annual salary, you could make the argument Jones, who has logged more sacks than any player in football since debuting in 2012, is actually a bargain. La Canfora notes Jones has removed all reference to the Cardinals on his social media pages, another sign the 6’5” linebacker isn’t feeling valued.
Jones’ conflict with Arizona could come to a head soon, with players due at Cardinals mandatory minicamp beginning next Tuesday. The sides still have plenty of time to patch things up or at least begin a dialogue (the regular season is still over three months away), though in the meantime, La Canfora expects teams to start circling, making “exploratory calls” to the Cardinals to check on Jones’ availability. It seems silly, bordering on irresponsible for Arizona to risk alienating one of the most feared defenders in football, but if the Cardinals are willing to explore the possibility of a future without Jones, teams will undoubtedly call.
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